Three school children die as school van plunges into pond in Uluberia

In a heart-wrenching incident in Howrah district, three schoolchildren were killed and two others injured after a school van lost control and plunged into a roadside pond at Bahira in Uluberia on Monday afternoon.

The tragedy has cast a pall of grief over the locality. According to police and local sources, the accident occurred around 3.30 p.m. when a Maruti van carrying five students was returning from a private kindergarten school at Jagadishpur. As the vehicle was heading towards Bahira Daspara, it allegedly swerved sharply near the Bahira crematorium area, lost balance and toppled into a pond beside the road. Residents who witnessed the accident said the van may have overturned while the driver was engaged in a reckless race with another vehicle. “The driver was warned several times by locals for over speeding,” a resident claimed.

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Immediately after the vehicle hit the water, villagers jumped in and tried to rescue the children. A team of divers was also deployed to assist in the operation. The injured students were rushed to Uluberia Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared three of them dead. The deceased have been identified as Ishika Mondal (7), Souvik Das (11) and Aarin Mondal (11), all students of Marina Mission School. Two other students are undergoing treatment with multiple injuries.

Vijay Kumar Singh of the Asian Front of Human Rights, reacting to the tragedy, said that despite repeated pleas to regulate and monitor private school vans, little has changed on ground. “These pool-car drivers continue to flout norms with impunity. How many more children must die before authorities act?” he asked. Police have begun an investigation to ascertain whether the mishap resulted from competitive driving or mechanical failure. Officers said the van has been pulled out of the pond and will undergo forensic examination. The driver reportedly fled the spot soon after the accident. As news of the children’s deaths spread, shock and mourning gripped the Bahira and Jagadishpur areas. Residents staged protests demanding strict action against errant pool-car operators and greater vigilance by enforcement agencies.