26 school children hurt as tractor-trolley overturns

Rupnagar, Nov 4 : At least 26 students of Government Senior Secondary School Laudimajra were injured when the tractor-trolley in which they were travelling overturned on Rupnagar-Laudimajra road near local Pincassia Tourist Complex this afternoon.

The accident took place around 1445 hrs when the children were returning to the school in four tractor-trolley after watching a children's film as well as a Bollywood flick at local J.R. Theatre.

The driver of the tractor-trolley failed to negotiate the sharp curve near Pincassia Tourist and Tractor Trolley overturned as a result of which 26 students were injured, some of them seriously.

The injured were rushed to civil hospital for treatment.

All the children are from rural areas.

Rupnagar SDM Annditta Mitra visited the hospital to enquire about the well being of the injured students and ensure the proper treatment of the injured.

It may be mentioned that children's films are being screened in local cinemas by the administration under Children film festival and schools of Rupnagar and its surrounding areas have been asked to bring their students for watching the movies.

Today, the children of Government Senior Secondary School Laudimajra were brought to the J.R.Theatre in tractor trolleys, where they first watched children film ‘Kabhi Fail, Kabhi Pass’ and thereafter they also watched film ‘London Dreams’ which is being screened in the theatre.

The parents of the injured children alleged that their wards were taken to theatre by the school authorities without informing them and they were not even informed about the accident and held the school principal responsible for the mishap.

However, School principal Prem Singh explained that they had been compelled to take the children in trolleys as the administrations had not provided them buses and the school could not afford to hire buses for ferrying them.

Meanwhile,Rupnagar police have arrested the tractor driver Sant Swaran Singh after registering a case under section 279,337,338 IPC.

Meanwhile, J R Theatre owner and AICC member Ramesh Goyal offered to bear the expenses of the treatment of injured students.

--UNI

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