Warangal: As many as 60 students had a miraculous escape on Thursday when the right front wheel of their bus came loose and the vehicle crashed into a bounder a few metres off the road.
The driver suffered minor injuries and all the students were safe. The incident was caused by the wheel bearings breaking while the bus was in motion.
The incident took place on the outskirts of Bodlada in Danthalapalli mandal of Mahbubabad district when the students were on their way to the St Mary’s High School in Danthalapalli.
Locals rushed to the spot and helped the children out. They were taken to school in another bus and the driver taken to the Thorrur area hospital for treatment.
The bus was carrying twice its capacity of 30 students. Parents said the management had been negligent in maintaining the bus, which they said was the cause for the accident.
“If the incident had occurred when the bus was moving on a culvert or a bridge, the result would have been fatal. RTA officials never come here to check the condition of the buses. We do not even know if the school buses possess the required certificates,” said Mr T. Venkanna, the parent of one of the students.
He said that the buses were being packed beyond capacity. “Officials must immediately take action against the management for endangering the lives of so many children,” he said.
Danthalapalli sub-inspector Nandi Kumar inspected the site of the accident and said that police had started investigations.
