A tragic accident struck Mumbai today when a 10-year-old child died when a tree fell onto a school bus carrying children in the city’s Chembur area. Four others were injured and taken to hospital, while the remaining children were safely rescued.
The incident occurred at 2:50 pm when a tree suddenly fell on a Universal School, Tilak Nagar bus that was taking 18 students. The impact crushed a portion of the vehicle, trapping several children inside and triggering a huge rescue operation.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 6) Sameer Shaikh said one student succumbed to injuries sustained in the accident. Four injured students were taken to Zen Hospital for treatment, while the other children underwent medical evaluation as a precaution.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) M West Ward confirmed that the deceased was a 10-year-old student. There were 18 children on board the school bus when the tree collapsed, officials said.
Visuals from the accident site showed the massive tree lying across the bus, severely damaging its roof and side. Emergency workers, police officers, and civic workers immediately launched rescue operations to free the trapped children.
A crane was brought to the site to lift the fallen tree and to remove the debris so rescue teams could safely evacuate people inside the vehicle. Early reports indicated that students were trapped before emergency teams arrived.
Officials later confirmed that 12 students were rescued during the initial operation, and the rest of the children were safely evacuated from the bus and taken for medical examination and treatment.
Mumbai Police also confirmed that the tree fell on the school bus around 2:50 pm. It is now being investigated whether the collapse of the tree was due to recent weather conditions, structural weakness, or other factors in the area, the police said.
As part of its investigation, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation plans to conduct a detailed inspection of the site. The tree will be evaluated to see if it was previously found to be hazardous and pruned or removed, officials said.
With Mumbai in the monsoon season and with heavy rains and strong winds, roadside trees are prone to topple onto the road and onto the streets and public places.
The medical condition of the injured students and the result of the investigation is expected to be known as authorities continue to investigate this tragic accident.
