A tragedy in Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh has raised new fears of school transport safety after a seven-year-old child died after he was crushed under the wheels of a school bus as he got off the vehicle outside his school on Thursday.
Nitin was a Class 2 student at Tilak Singh Inter College in Raal. According to police officials, the boy had arrived at the school premises in the bus and was stepping down from the vehicle when the accident took place.
Jait Station House Officer (SHO) Sonu Kumar said the bus driver started moving the vehicle while the child was still getting down. The sudden movement caused Nitin to lose balance and fall near the bus, after which he came under the wheels.
The child suffered severe injuries and died on the spot, police said. The bus driver fled the scene after the accident, the police said. The investigation is now in progress to trace the driver and find out what caused the tragedy, authorities said.
Angry villagers gathered outside the school demanding the school management take action against those responsible. The protesters raised slogans against the school management and questioned if child transport had been safe because the safety measures were not implemented.
The anger of the villagers allegedly damaged property at the school during the protest. Police teams arrived soon to the site as well and more forces were sent to keep the situation calm and order was restored.
The child’s body has been sent for post-mortem examination, and police officials said further legal action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
VIDEO | UP: A seven-year-old boy was killed after he came under the wheels of a school bus as he was getting off the vehicle outside his school in Mathura on Thursday, police said.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 16, 2026
Nitin, a Class 2 student at Tilak Singh Inter College, Raal, reached school in a bus. As he was… pic.twitter.com/eDVCLGIqyB
The incident has once again raised concerns about school bus safety protocols, driver responsibility, supervision of the children boarding and leaving the school bus, and the need for greater oversight of transportation services provided by schools.
Parents and residents have called on the school authorities to be accountable, demanding schools have a safety system in place so such heartbreaking incidents wouldn’t happen in the future.
School bus accidents happen so often because children are not properly supervised or safety guidelines are not followed. Experts have stressed for years that trained drivers, attendants inside the bus, and strict adherence to safety regulations should be followed.
The police are investigating the Mathura incident and the family and local community are grieving the loss of a young child whose life was cut short on his way to school.
