School van collides with bus on Nagpur's Mankapur flyover, students injured

NAGPUR: A 24 years-old school van driver died after his vehicle collided head-on with a bus on the Mankapur flyover on Friday morning, leaving several students injured. Police identified the driver as Hrithik Kanojia, who succumbed to injuries at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMC) after being brought in with serious injuries. One girl student is admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital, while at least three other children are under treatment in the same facility. Some other students were taken to different hospitals, as the accident site was in close proximity to a few hospitals. The accident occurred around 8.30am when Kanojia’s van, carrying students of Bhavan’s Bhagwandas Purohit Vidya Mandir, Koradi Road Branch, hit a Narayana Vidyalam bus coming from the opposite direction. The impact left the van mangled, trapping students inside. Passersby broke open jammed doors and carried the injured to nearby hospitals. Only two children were conscious when rescued, while others were found unconscious.The bus driver and two female attendants were unharmed. The bus was on its way to pick up students from the city and had no students at the time. The driver told police that the van had entered his lane, leaving no time to avoid the collision.Traffic on the flyover was halted for nearly an hour after the crash. For the last several months, vehicles have been forced to ply both ways on a single side of the flyover as repairs continue on the damaged stretch between Mankapur Stadium and Faras. Commuters have repeatedly flagged the risk posed by the narrowed lanes and slow pace of work.Parents of the injured children rushed to the hospitals soon after learning of the incident. Doctors treating the students said most had multiple injuries and are undergoing treatment. The accident has renewed concerns over traffic management and prolonged construction on one of the city’s busiest flyovers. Police have registered a case and further investigation is underway.