Uttar Pradesh: A routine school ride turned into a horrifying tragedy on Saturday afternoon when six-year-old Ananya, a UKG student, fell through the broken floor of a moving school bus and was crushed under its rear wheels in Kasganj district. The accident triggered massive uproar, vandalism, and a road blockade as enraged villagers held the school and the driver responsible for criminal negligence.
A Moving Bus With a Broken Floor
According to Live Hindustan, the bus was in poor condition, with a hole the size of a large crater in the floor, particularly at the seat where Ananya sat, directly above the rear wheel. Despite its clearly unsafe condition, the bus transported nearly 40 school children each day.
How the Accident Happened
Ananya and her older brother, 10-year-old Yajat, were returning home from Mount International School in Bhudia. Around 3 p.m., near Birhara village in the Dholna area, the floor beneath Ananya collapsed suddenly. She slipped through the opening and landed directly beneath the moving bus. Yajat, who was sitting nearby, raised an alarm. When the driver came to a stop, the wheels had already rolled over Ananya's head and chest.
According to Amar Ujala, the driver initially discovered her injured by the wheel but still breathing. He sat her back down in the bus and rushed to the Malasai intersection, where her father, Ravi Kumar, runs a public service center. However, Ananya died before reaching him.
As soon as the villages saw this, they grabbed the driver, beat him up, and broke parts of the bus. A huge crowd blocked the Aligarh–Kasganj road for almost an hour, causing a traffic jam and heightened tension across the area.
Amar Ujala reported, “Seeing the student dead, the family got furious and beat up the driver and vandalized the bus. They also created a huge ruckus by blocking the road. Later, the ruckus calmed down after the police somehow persuaded them. Since the accident took place in Dholna, the body of the girl and the detained bus driver have been sent to Dholna."
Police Intervention and Investigation
Police officers from the Gangiri police station and CO Chharra Sanjeev Tomar came to calm the crowd down. After a lot of convincing, the blockade was lifted. CO Tomar told Amar Ujala that “The floor was broken at the seat where the girl was riding. She fell from the moving bus and was hit directly by the wheels, resulting in her death. Angry people created a ruckus. They have been pacified. The remaining investigation is underway in Kasganj.”
Since the accident occurred in Dholna, police from that jurisdiction took the body, the bus, and the detained driver for further investigation.
Bus Was Running Without Fitness Certificate
The CO acknowledged that the bus should never have been on the road during the on-site inspection. As quoted by Amar Ujala: “The condition of this bus was so bad that one could tell by looking at it that it was running without fitness." Authorities have announced a district-wide checking drive against unsafe school buses following this incident. The Kasganj Police will conduct the remaining investigation
A Family Shattered Before Holi
Ananya's family's Holi celebrations turned into unimaginable grief. Her grandmother was making gujiyas when the news arrived. The family collapsed in shock. According to Amar Ujala, Ananya's brother, Yajat, witnessed the tragedy and was left speechless and unable to speak.
