13-year-old girl killed, 5 injured in Rainawari road mishap
Srinagar, Sep 17: In a tragic incident, a 13-year-old girl was killed after being hit by a school van at Gurpora locality of Rainawari in Downtown Srinagar today.
Witnesses said the Eco van was speeding through the congested stretch when it veered off the road and hit a group of pedestrians, killing Madiha Farooq of Jogi Lanker on the spot and leaving five others injured. The impact of the accident was such that the shutter of a shop was broken.
A police official stated that the vehicle is typically used for ferrying school students. “Fortunately, at the time of the accident, no students were inside. FIR has been registered, and the driver has been arrested. We have also seized the vehicle, and further investigation is on, “said the official.
“It was like a nightmare. The vehicle came at a very high speed that no one had a chance to move,” a witness said.
Heart-rending scenes gripped the Gurpora locality of Rainawari when Madiha’s body was brought to her home. Wails of grief echoed through the narrow lanes as relatives, neighbours, and classmates crowded the courtyard to bid a final farewell.
At Madiha’s home, the grief was unbearable. Family members clung to each other, wailing as the coffin was lowered. One relative, sobbing uncontrollably, said: “She was our only daughter. We have lost everything.” Neighbors described the girl as “bright and cheerful” and expressed shock at the tragedy.
The incident has reignited the debate over outsourcing student transport to private operators in Srinagar. Many schools rely on vans and other light motor vehicles owned by individuals rather than regulated fleets. Parents allege such vehicles are frequently overloaded and driven recklessly in the absence of regulation, posing a risk to the lives of their wards.
“This could have been any of our children. Traffic authorities must wake up from slumber and act strictly to save lives before another family suffers like this,” said a worried parent among the mourners.
