Future prevention: Van overturns, injuring 11 schoolchildren

AJK govt calls for removal of dilapidated school vans, buses in wake of incident.

MUZAFFARABAD:

In a tragic accident on Monday, a school van overturned near Sarran Gharidupatta, some 25 kilometres from here, injuring 11 school children.

Police official linked the incident with the inability of the driver to control the vehicle full of schoolchildren.

Out of the total injured, 11 children received minor injuries and were rushed to the Gharidupatta hospital from where they were discharged after first aid treatment.

Soon after, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Transport Minister Tahir Khokhar took strict notice of the condition of rusty old vehicles used by private schools, according to a press release.

“Nobody is allowed to play with the lives of the innocent children. All vehicles of private schools should get vehicle fitness certificates from the AJK transport department,” the press release added.

Meanwhile, the Finance Department of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has released compensation for the heirs of passengers who died over the last two years in different road accidents across AJK.

Khokhar told The Express Tribune that under the supervision of senior transport department officers, compensations of Rs300,000 each will soon be given to the families of road accident victims.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2013.