Assam student dies after being hit by school bus, driver held

Guwahati, June 8

A Class 11 student died on Thursday after she was allegedly hit by a school bus here, police said.

The angry locals apprehended the driver of the bus and police later detained him.

The incident happened in the city's Ganeshguri area at around 8 a.m. while the student, her father, and her younger sister were riding a scooter to school. According to onlookers, they were struck from behind by the speeding school bus, suffering severe injuries.

Police said that when the Class 11 student from Guwahati's Little Flower School was transferred to a nearby hospital in an unconscious state, the doctors there declared her dead.

The deceased student has been identified as Priya Kumari.

"The student was found to be riding pillion with her father, who was driving the scooter, according to the initial investigation," IGP, Law and Order, Prasanta Bhuyan said.

"Prima facie evidence suggests that the school bus struck them from behind, badly injuring them. The student has passed away, and her family members are currently receiving treatment. We are looking into it," he added.

Both Priya Kumar's father and her younger sister suffered serious injuries and have been admitted to a city hospital.

The bus driver tried to run away shortly after the incident, but the townspeople captured them. Police detained the driver, who was later identified as Bipul Boro.

"The driver struck the student, got off the school bus, and fled, but he was quickly apprehended, and we have taken him into custody," a senior police officer said.

However, a video that went viral in the social media purportedly shows that the bus was not speeding and that the student was not hit by it. According to the police, they have some CCTV footage from that area and are examining it.