Speeding school bus runs over flock of sheep in Tangmarg’s Kunzer

Baramulla, Sep 28: In a shocking incident, the video of which has gone viral, a school bus ran over a herd in Kunzar Tangmarg area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Saturday, resulting in the death of at least 18 sheep and goats. The incident caused massive uproar among netizens, who urged the administration to take stern action against the driver as well as the school authorities for reckless driving.

Kunzar Police have taken cognisance of the matter, arrested the driver, and seized the school bus. An FIR, vide no. 102, has been registered in connection with the incident. While demanding strict action against the culprit, locals said it is unfortunate that there is no check on overspeeding vehicles, particularly school buses. Muhammad Ashraf, an eyewitness, said the school vehicle was moving at very high speed when the driver lost control and ran over the herd. “The incident could have wreaked havoc had the vehicle run into a group of people, as it occurred in broad daylight when the market was abuzz with activity,” Ashraf said.

He added that this was not the first time a school bus was seen overspeeding. “Most of the vehicles, especially school buses, are often seen running at high speed on the Narbal-Tangmarg road, which is dangerous for the schoolchildren inside them,” he said.

The livestock owner, who belongs to a poor pastoral family, expressed deep anguish over the loss, saying the incident had destroyed them. “This livestock was our life. We survive on it as our bread and butter. The incident has left us in mourning,” said the herd’s owner.

Notably, a few years ago, the Directorate of School Education issued an order making it mandatory for all educational institutions to equip school buses with speedometers to ensure they operate within the permissible speed of 40 km/h. This requirement was part of broader safety regulations, which also mandate the use of CCTV and GPS, along with specific visual and structural safety features on all school vehicles.

However, most educational institutions across Kashmir do not abide by the order. Although it was followed for a specific period, the guidelines have now been completely ignored by the management of many schools. “Lack of speedometers in school buses will be taken up with the Directorate of Education, as it will form part of the investigation,” assured Shabir Ahmad, SHO Kunzar.