An 11-year-old student died and four others were injured after a roadside peepal tree was uprooted and fell on a school bus in Mumbai's Chembur on Tuesday afternoon, civic officials said.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's Fire Brigade (MFB), the incident was reported at 2:58 pm near Heritage Pride on Road No. 11 in Chembur. The uprooted tree crashed onto a school bus belonging to Universal High School, a Force vehicle bearing registration number MH03/CV-7439.
The bus was carrying 12 students at the time of the incident. The children were rescued by the bus conductor with the help of local residents before emergency teams arrived at the spot.
Five students were injured and rushed to Zen Hospital for treatment. Hospital authorities said four children sustained minor injuries and are in stable condition.
However, one student, identified as 11-year-old Vihan Shrivastav, suffered critical injuries and was declared dead at 4:23 pm, according to the on-duty medical officer at Zen Hospital.
Emergency personnel carried out rescue operations and removed the fallen tree from the bus. The exact cause of the tree being uprooted is yet to be determined, although Mumbai has been witnessing heavy rainfall and gusty winds in recent days.
Authorities are investigating the incident.