Bus full of schoolchildren falls into a ravine leaving at least 16 dead

• A bus full of schoolchildren plunged down a steep ravine.
• There are already at least 16 dead and another 20 people were injured.
• The minibus carrying too many passengers.

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY A bus full of schoolchildren plunged down a steep ravine some 250 feet high, leaving at least 16 dead and 20 others injured. The army, the police and even the residents of the area were participating in the rescue efforts.

On Wednesday, September 14, in the morning, a minibus that was filled beyond capacity with passengers, went off the road and fell into a deep ravine near Sawjian, a town in Poonch district, in Jammu, North India.

Bus full of schoolchildren falls into a ravine killing 16

According to the Press Trust of India news agency, there were at least 36 people in the bus when the accident occurred. In an initial report, authorities said 11 people were dead and 29 others were injured, The Associated Press reported.

They also detailed that nine people had died at the scene, while two more later died in hospital, leaving open the possibility that the death toll could rise. «The death toll is likely to rise in view of the critical injuries of 9 passengers,» an official said.

Dozens of victims

The passengers’ injuries were so serious that six of them had to be evacuated by air to a hospital in the city of Jammu, according to the Indian news agency. Later, fears of more fatalities came true.

After the dramatic accident, five more people died in hospital, so the death toll rose and is now at 16 dead and 20 wounded, according to The Sun. For now, it is known that most of the passengers on the bus were students from a nearby public school.

Rescue operation

Local police explained that the driver of the minibus, which was traveling from Gali Maidan to Poonch, lost control of the vehicle, ran off the road and ended up rolling hundreds of meters down the steep cliff. Immediately, rescue work began.

After the accident, the army, the police and even the residents of the area launched an important rescue operation. For now, it is known that among the fatalities are two children aged five and 14, two teenagers and a woman.

Financial compensation for deaths

Faced with the fatal accident, Indian leaders spoke out. “My thoughts are with everyone who lost loved ones. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured,» Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter. Indian President Droupadi Murmu also expressed her condolences.

In addition, the deputy governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, reported on Twitter that the families of the victims would receive a 500,000 rupees compensation, equivalent to about $6,300. “Sad for the loss of life due to a traffic accident in Sawjian, Poonch. Condolences to the grieving families. May the injured recover soon,” she added.