Daily News & Analysis
       
MUMBAI, Nov 26: Twelve children were injured when a school bus rammed into another at Jogeshwari on the Western Express highway on Saturday afternoon.
 
S Manisha, a Standard IV teacher, suffered a wrist fracture, while students Sagar S and Heeral Rathod suffered a nosebleed and head abrasions.
 
The other students were discharged after X-rays confirmed they had no serious injury.
 
The children -- Aishwarya Sane, Ronak, Ritesh, Pranav, Ritu Palijao, Heeral Rathod, Diya, Aakash, Maya, Shaun, Prerna, Sagar and Rohan -– were returning from an educational visit.
 
According to the police, two buses of St Mary’s School, Dahisar, with 35 children, were returning, when one bus rammed into the other from behind at the Quarters Colony signal at Jogeshwari, at 1 pm.
 
"One school bus applied brakes suddenly. Some children suffered bruises. We took them to a nearby hospital, from where they were later discharged," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Meghwadi division) Arvind Bhosale said.
 
Monica D'Souza, a supervisor at St Mary’s said, "There were no severe injuries. Some who complained of headaches and pain were taken to Ankita Hospital at Dahisar. When some parents complained, the school conducted medical tests on the students as a precautionary measure."
 
"Manisha suffered a minor wrist fracture and should get well in three weeks. We have taken X-rays of the children and they were medically examined. No children suffered fractures," said Dr Vimla Ashok Pokarna, owner of Ankita Hospital.
 
Aishwarya Sane, 10, who suffered a cheek inflammation, said, "Our bus suddenly stopped on the highway. We heard a loud bang. We found that the second bus rammed into ours."
 
The driver of the bus that braked suddenly said, "I do not know, the brakes failed."
 
However, D'Souza said an autorickshaw suddenly braked, forcing the school bus to follow suit.