Bhubaneswar, Aug. 21: Eight students of a private school here had a narrow escape after the school bus ferrying them rammed into an electric pole near the Jagannath Temple at Baramunda in Khandagiri police limits this morning.
Though the driver of the bus claimed to have dozed off, police have begun a case and are probing whether he was under the influence of alcohol.
Witnesses said the bus first rammed into an electric pole on the roadside and later mounted the footpath. However, cable wires were connected to the pole instead of conventional metal wires, reducing the chances of electrocution.
"There were eight children along with two teachers in the bus. We rushed to the spot and rescued them. No one was injured in the incident," said a witness.
"When we asked the driver, he told us that he returned to Bhubaneswar from his village late last night and was feeling drowsy when the accident happened," he said.
Later, the police reached the spot.
"Though we are yet to get any formal complaint from the school authorities, we are trying to ascertain whether the driver was drunk during the accident," said a police officer aware of developments.
Transport officials said the bus had a valid fitness certificate and all the safety measures needed for a vehicle to ferry schoolchildren.
On August 16, nearly 20 students were injured after a school bus carrying around 40 schoolchildren overturned at Golagola in Nayagarh district. The injured were admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital where they received first-aid. The driver was allegedly talking on his mobile phone when the incident took place.
Transport officials said they would shortly begin a drive to penalise buses plying without safety measures. According to a Supreme Court guideline, the school buses need to have an emergency exit, name of the institute, first-aid kit, window grilles and fire extinguishers.
While most vehicles ferrying children function without emergency exits, some do not have fire extinguishers and first-aid kits.
According to sources in the Regional Transport Office, Bhubaneswar, more than 850 school and college buses plying within the city limits daily.
