9 Manipur schoolgirls, teacher on excursion die as bus overturns

IMPHAL: At least 10 persons, including nine girl students and a female teacher, were killed and 35 injured when the bus they were travelling in overturned at Longsai in Noney district, about 55km from Imphal, on Wednesday morning.
The accident took place at Old Cachar Road around 10.30am when the driver reportedly lost control while negotiating a sharp bend. Police said the bus was carrying students and staff of the government-run Thambalnu Higher Secondary School, Yairipok in Imphal East. They were going for an excursion to Leimatak in Bishnupur district in two buses.
One bus was carrying only girl students and women teachers and staff of the school, while the other was occupied by males. Local sources said the former with 47 people, including the driver and the handyman, met with the accident. Five students died on the spot and the other five, including the teacher, died on the way to hospital, sources added. The students were between 14 and 17 years of age. The dead teacher’s age could not be immediately ascertained.
The driver reportedly jumped out of the bus before it turned turtle and sustained minor injuries.
Police have registered a case in this regard.
Police and local villagers immediately carried out evacuation works. Nine ambulances with medical teams were also rushed to the accident site. The injured persons are currently being treated at RIMS and private-run Raj Medicity and Advanced Hospital.
No school excursions until Jan 10: Manipur govt
Following the accident, the state government put a ban on school excursions with immediate effect until January 10 to avoid any untoward incidents in the wintry morning fog/mist.
An office memorandum issued by the school education director, L Nandakumar Singh, late evening asked all heads of government, government-aided and private schools to comply with the order.
CM N Biren Singh, who visited the injured in different hospitals in Imphal, announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh to the seriously injured and Rs 50,000 to those who sustained minor injuries.
Governor La Ganesan conveyed his deepest condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for peace to the departed souls and strength to their families. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured, read a statement issued by Imphal Raj Bhavan.
Biren tweeted, "Deeply saddened to hear about the accident of a bus carrying schoolchildren at the Old Cachar Road. SDRF, medical team and MLAs have rushed to the site to coordinate the rescue operation."