Accident near Telco: probe ordered after school van overturns
Jamshedpur: Twelve students and the driver of a school van were injured when the vehicle struck a road divider and overturned on the Telco Stadium–Bhuvaneshwari Temple Road on Friday, police said.
The children were pupils of Vidya Bharati Chinmaya Vidyalaya. Locals and eyewitnesses said the van lost balance, hit the divider and then toppled; the impact badly damaged the front of the vehicle and ruptured the engine chamber, witnesses reported. The injured were taken to Tata Motors Hospital for treatment.
- Injuries and treatment: Twelve students sustained injuries and the vehicle driver was also hurt. School principal Mina Wilkhu said three of the injured required extended treatment and underwent CT scans; the rest received first aid and were discharged.
- Passengers aboard: Sources said the van was carrying 35 students at the time of the crash.
- Investigation: Telco police have launched a probe to determine the cause of the accident, officials said.
“Three out of the injured 12 students were admitted for extended treatment as they had to undergo CT scan. Others were discharged immediately after first aid,” Mina Wilkhu, principal of Vidya Bharati Chinmaya Vidyalaya, said.
There are varying initial accounts about the number of injured. A police officer quoted in separate reporting suggested that between five and seven children were hurt and that a mechanical failure, possibly brake failure, may have caused the vehicle to ram into the divider; he said the precise cause will be clear only after investigation. Telco police officer Suresh Prasad confirmed that a probe is underway to ascertain the cause of the accident.
The principal said school staff reached the scene promptly and that members of the public had helped transport the children to hospital. Another account quoted a police officer, Sunil Kumar, saying the public and teachers assisted and that the vehicle may have suffered a mechanical problem.
Local context and earlier incidents
The incident follows a string of recent school-vehicle accidents in and around the city. Reports cited two earlier episodes this month and in August: on September 16 a school van collided with an autorickshaw at Sector Market under Telco police station; in mid-August an autorickshaw carrying schoolchildren overturned on the Sidhgora–Golmuri Road, injuring two students.
East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Rajiv Ranjan has directed traffic and transport officials to carry out random inspections focused on vehicle documentation, valid fitness certificates and measures to curb overloading and speeding after a rise in such incidents, officials said. The directive aims to tighten checks on school transport compliance and vehicle roadworthiness in the district.
| Reported detail | Source |
|---|---|
| Number of students injured | 12 (principal); 5–7 (police officer quoted) |
| Number of children on van | 35 (sources) |
| Hospital | Tata Motors Hospital |
| Investigating agency | Telco police station |
Police said the circumstances that led to the van hitting the divider remain under examination. Officials will inspect the vehicle and interview the driver and witnesses as part of the enquiry. The school has reported the incident to the authorities and cooperated in transporting teachers and staff to the scene.
The episode highlights continuing concerns about safety in school transport within the city and follows the deputy commissioner's call for stepped-up inspections of documents, fitness certification and anti-overloading enforcement.
