6-year-old crushed to death by school bus in Kumbhephal

Villagers thrash allegedly drunk driver

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A tragic incident occurred in Kumbhephal village on Thursday evening when a 6-year-old boy, Harshad Anil Hatagale, was crushed to death by the school bus he was just getting off from. The driver, Tushar Prabhakar Naralkar (33, Uran, Raigad Galli, Kumbhephal) is alleged to have been drunk and was beaten up by a mob after the incident.

According to police, Harshad, a first-grader at Rajmata English School, was the last student to get off the bus. As he stepped down, the driver, reportedly under the influence of alcohol, recklessly lurched the bus forward, causing Harshad to fall. Despite onlookers shouts, the driver remained oblivious and ran over the child.

Harshad's family, originally from Antarwali in Gevrai, was devastated by the tragedy. His father, runs a loading rickshaw to support his wife and three children. The locals alleged that the driver was drunk and was beaten up by the mob.

The police rushed to the spot and pacified the angry crowd. Adding to the tragedy, it was revealed that the bus was not adhering to safety regulations. As per rules, buses transporting students must have a helper on board alongside the driver. However, no such helper was present on the bus involved in this accident.