Student falls off vehicle, dies

Odisha Channel Bureau Cuttack, Dec 15: Close on the heels of death of two school children last week, a ten-year-old girl, a 5th standard student of an English medium school, succumbed to injuries that she had sustained during the accident of her school transport vehicle.The victim girl Rajashree Dash had sustained serious head injuries on December 11 when she had fell off from an overloaded auto- rickshaw carrying 12 students to the school in Derabish area of Kendrapara district.Dash had been admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital where she died today. “The school auto rickshaw had overturned on 11 December.However, the incident had not been brought to the notice of local police.Police have come to know of the mishap only after death of Rajashree.The school authorities have been summoned.Though no complaint has been lodged so far, case is being registered against the auto driver under Section 304-A (causing death due to rash & negligent action) and section 304-II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of Indian Penal Code,” said Inspector Derabish police station Niranjan Sabar.It may be recalled that two tiny tots, students of an English medium school in village Asulpur under Nischintakioli block had died on December while 17 other students were injured in a tragic road accident when the vehicle turned turtle on the Nischnitakoili-Lalitgiri road.In the wake of death of two school children travelling in a school van in Cuttack district, Motor Vehicle Inspectors in Kendrapara have been directed to inspect school transport vans.However in sharp contrast, things remain the same with unregulated plying of unsafe school transport.Road transport officials had announced initiation of stringent action against any sort of overloading of transport vehicles.Special attention was needed to be paid on vehicles carrying children beyond capacity strength.Motor Vehicle Inspectors (MVIs) have been directed to inspect the school transport vans.However, not a single erring vehicle has so far been booked, charged guardians.