A devastating head-on collision near Purna River in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district claimed the life of a third-standard schoolgirl and left 11 children injured Wednesday. The school van, en route with 15 students, flipped after slamming into another vehicle 60 km from Betul city in Bhainsdehi jurisdiction.
Chaos ensued as the van somersaulted, prompting locals to heroically extract the children. Harshita Patankar was pronounced dead at the site. The injured, including driver Sonu Patankar, received initial care at Bhainsdehi CHC; four critical cases were airlifted metaphorically to Betul’s main hospital.
Damaged vehicles and strewn debris painted a grim picture. The fleeing driver of the other vehicle is now the prime target of a police dragnet. Preliminary inquiries point to high speed, negligent driving, or unsafe passing as culprits.
Such mishaps expose glaring gaps in India’s road safety framework, especially for school vans prone to overloading and shortcuts. Advocacy groups push for GPS tracking, trained drivers, and child-centric infrastructure. This fatal crash serves as a stark reminder: without immediate action, more young lives hang in the balance.