25 students injured as school bus topples near Byndoor; three critical

Kundapur, Dec 18: Around 25 students of HMMS English Medium School, Byndoor sustained injuries when the school bus they were travelling in fell on its side at Uthinane near Byndoor in Udupi district on Thursday.

The tragedy took place at around 8:30 a.m. when the bus was carrying students from Bhatkal.

Among the injured, the condition of the three students is said to be critical. They have been identified as Shah Rukh, Afan and Vida. They have been admitted in a private hospital in Manipal.

According to sources, the bus driver of the speeding school bus swerved the vehicle off the tarmac on the left side to avoid a speeding vehicle approaching it in the opposite direction. He lost control of the vehicle due to the wet soil and the bus toppled to its left.

Meanwhile, parents of the students alleged that the bus was usually overloaded. But the headmaster of the school denied the allegation.

The driver escaped from the spot after the accident. Local residents, who rushed to the spot rescued the children and shifted them to a private hospital in Kundapur. Later, three of them were shifted to Manipal.

A case has been registered at jurisdictional Byndoor police station and investigations are on.