By IANS
New Delhi : One person was killed and at least 24 school children were injured Monday when a Delhi Metro feeder bus, illegally operating as a school van, overturned.
The minibus that had a capacity of only 20 was overcrowded and overturned while taking a turn in Preet Vihar. It was ferrying students to the Kendriya Vidyalaya in east Delhi's Anand Vihar.
Suleiman, 50, the guardian of one of the students, lost his life in the accident. He was also in the bus.
The injured students were rushed to the Metro Hospital, the Railway Hospital and the Deepak Memorial Hospital nearby. Eighteen were discharged after primary first aid, while the rest are said to be recovering.
"The bus driver was moving very fast and while taking a turn, it went upside down," said a student who was inside the bus. Fortunately, the student sustained only minor bruises.
School principal Imran-Ul-Haq said that the school management had not arranged for the van. "It was arranged jointly by the parents of the students," Haq told reporters.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesman Anuj Dayal said: "The (metro link) bus was running off route and should not have been plying near Preet Vihar at all and should not have been carrying school children."
He added: "The RTV No.DL1V1631 was supposed to ply on route No. 253 A between Shastri Park Metro Station and Mayur Vihar Phase-III via Gandhi Nagar. A private operator under a permit issued by the STA (state transport authority) was running it.
"In view of the violation, the DMRC has written to the STA to cancel the RTV's permit."