An 11-year-old boy lost his life and five other students were hospitalised after a tree fell on a school bus carrying 18 children in Mumbai’s Chembur area on Tuesday, officials reported.
The incident occurred at around 2:50 pm when a tree toppled onto a bus operated by Universal School in Tilak Nagar. The bus conductor, along with local residents, helped rescue the students trapped inside. Authorities are currently investigating the factors that caused the tree to collapse.
According to Zone 6 DCP Sameer Shaikh, the deceased student, Vihan Shrivastav, was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. Twelve of the 18 children were safely evacuated from the bus, while five were taken to Zen Hospital for medical treatment. Four of the injured students sustained minor injuries and are in stable condition, whereas the fifth child remains in critical condition and is receiving treatment.
Footage from the site showed the fallen tree severely damaging part of the bus as emergency personnel and BMC officials worked to remove the debris.
Rescue teams reached the location soon after the accident. Early reports suggested that multiple children were trapped inside the vehicle. A crane was deployed to lift the tree and assist in the rescue efforts.
Mumbai Police also confirmed that the tree fell on the school bus at approximately 2:50 pm.
