GHAZIABAD: Four children were injured, one of them seriously, when a van ferrying a group of eight students to their school overturned after its driver applied brakes at high speed while negotiating a sharp bend in Vasundhara’s Sector 17 on Wednesday morning. The accident has revived the issue of safety of students travelling in “illegal” vans.While 10-year-old Anaye Baliyan, a resident of Rishabh Cloud 9 highrise in Indirapuram, suffered serious head injuries in the accident and had to be admitted to Fortis hospital in Noida, the other three — Eti Baliyan (younger sister of Anaye), Akshat (8) and Devik (12) — escaped with minor injuries, police said.The accident occurred around 8 am. Police said the van, carrying the eight students of Bal Bharti school in Surya Nagar, was travelling at a speed of 80km and its driver lost control over the vehicle when he suddenly applied brakes at a sharp bend near Konark housing society in Sector 17, leading to the accident.“We got information around 8.15 am from some locals and a team reached the spot within 10 minutes. We took the children to a nearby private hospital for medical attention. But Anaye was referred to Fortis hospital. Later, we informed their parents and the school management,” said Nazeer Ali, SHO of Indirapuram police station.Bal Bharti school, however, shrugged off its responsibility by saying that the van was hired by parents of the children living nearby.“Our officials visited Vasundhara hospital after we got the information about the accident. However, we can’t take any action against the van driver as the facility was neither provided by the school nor the accused was on our payroll. It was arranged by a group of parents living in the vicinity,” said an official of Bal Bharti school.Police said they have arrested the van driver for rash and negligent driving. “He has been identified as Monu. He is in our custody. However, no one has lodged any complaint against him,” an official said.But All School Parents Association, a parents body, has come down heavily on Bal Bharti school.“No school can escape from its responsibility. All schools should issue guidelines that parents should either drop their wards themselves or take only school transport. This will automatically bring an end to the plying of illegal private vans which don’t adhere to any safety guidelines,” said Shivani Jain, the association president.

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