Click to play videoMumbai: Five schoolchildren died and six were badly injured died when the LPG cylinder of their school van exploded in suburban Mumbai, police said.
The explosion occurred at 1320 hrs IST in Millat Nagar in Oshiwara when the kindergarten students of Millat School were sitting in a van parked outside the school.
The oldest of the children was 9 years and the youngest just 6. Three of the children have suffered 60 per cent burns. The injured children have been taken to a hospital in Andheri and the van driver has been detained.
"All the children were in the age group of three to five years,"
Ward 57 municipal corporation member Raju Pednekar said.
The driver, Rafiq Qureshi, told the police that the vehicle suddenly exploded when he turned on the ignition. It is suspected that CNG was leaking from the tank installed in the vehicle.
And the school has finally woken up to their student's safety. The Principal has appealed to parents to be more careful in the future.
“It was a private vehicle. Parents had arranged it and not the school,” said Asif Quereshi, Principal, Millat School.
“No one went near the car for some time fearing the cylinder would burst. That's why we could not save the children. All the children were from KG. One was from the 1st standard but he was not injured,” added Quereshi.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra CM has anounced Rs 1lakh compensation to the family of each child killed in the accident and Rs 50,000 to those injured. Compensation will be given in a week.
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