Eight-year-old killed as school bus overturns in Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati, Aug 12 (IANS) A student died and three others were injured when a school bus met with an accident in Andhra Pradesh’s Annamayya district on Monday, police said.The accident occurred near Obulavaripalli when the bus belonging to a private school overturned.According to police, the bus fell by the roadside after hitting a boulder.The deceased was identified as Bhavishya (8), who was sitting close to the bus door. The girl, a student of second standard, died on the spot.The bus had started from Obulavaripalli and was heading to Shravani Vidyaniketan School, which is about five kilometres from the town. The vehicle was carrying 20 students.The bus driver apparently failed to notice a boulder and lost control of the vehicle after hitting it.The bus driver fled the scene after the accident. The passersby rescued the students and alerted the police.Most of the students sustained minor injuries. Three of the injured were shifted to hospital.On learning about the incident, anxious parents rushed to the spot and the hospital.Police shifted the body of the deceased for autopsy and launched an investigation. A crane was pressed into service to lift the bus.Police said efforts were on to arrest the driver.Locals alleged that the school was operating buses without following proper safety norms.Meanwhile, a pedestrian was killed after he was knocked down by a school bus at Shamshabad in Hyderabad on Monday. The man crossing the road was hit by a speeding bus belonging to a private school.Last month, a cleaner of a school bus died and 15 students were injured after the vehicle was hit by a truck in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.The accident occurred on July 2 near the Musunuru toll plaza near Kavali when the school bus belonging to PSR International School was carrying students to the school.Overspeed, carrying more persons than capacity and negligence by the drivers, are stated to be the reasons for road accidents involving school buses.–IANSms/uk