Medak (Telangana): Protests broke out at the site of a horrific accident in Medak district of Telangana in which 17 school children were killed. The bus driver and cleaner, were also killed when Nanded-Secunderabad Passenger train collided with the bus on the railway track at around 9 AM on Thursday.
The hired driver, who was behind the wheel instead of the regular driver, opted to cross the railway line through an unmanned railway level crossing though there are two manned railway crossings in Masayipet village, a senior officer said.
The accident was so severe that the train dragged the bus, carrying 36 children, to a distance of around 50 metres before coming to a halt. The deceased children were in the age group of 5-15 years and some of them were students of nursery class, the officer said.
Medak district In-charge Collector A Sharat said that despite having manned railway-level crossings in the village, the driver took a short cut and opted to cross the railway line through an unmanned crossing.
"The driver took the unmanned gate to cross the railway track as the distance through a manned gate is a bit longer. This has proved fatal for the students," Sharat said.
He said many of the children are in a serious condition.
A senior official of South Central Railway (SCR) said the village has three level-crossings, out of which two are manned and one unmanned, within the distance of 1.5 km.
According to a GRP officer as the regular driver of the private school bus was on leave, the vehicle was driven by a hired driver.
(With additional information from PTI)
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