10 kids seriously injured as schoolbus catches fire in Maharashtra

NAVI MUMBAI - At least 10 children sustained burn injuries when their schoolbus caught fire in Panvel Town in Maharashtra’s Raigad district Thursday morning, police said. The private mini-bus proceeding to C.K.T. High School in Navi Mumbai, about 30 km from Panvel, caught fire at about 6.50 a.m.

The children, going to school after a 10-day break on account of swine flu, were trapped inside the burning bus.

“Preliminary reports indicate that the mini-bus caught fire due to a short-circuit but investigations are on,” said a police official.

The injured children, of whom two are said to be in serious co0ndition, have been admitted to nearby hospitals, said Principal S.T. Ghadge of the C.K.T. College that is located on the same campus as the school.

He said that the private mini-bus had been contracted by the parents.