Schoolbus gets trapped in stubble burning in Punjab; 41 kids saved

The driver of the bus was unable to control the vehicle through the smoke and ended up trapped in the fire.

At least three schoolchildren suffered burn injuries after their school bus caught fire in Batala in Punjab's Gurdaspur District. There were at least 41 children were on the bus which was completely gutted. Local villagers managed to rescue all the children from the bus.

The school bus belonged to Shri Guru Har Rai Public School at Qila Lal Singh.

According to the local administration, some farmers in the area burnt their leftover crops on the roadside. A huge plume of smoke enveloped the area. The driver of the bus was unable to control the vehicle through the smoke and ended up trapped in the fire.

Sources said, "The heat from the stubble burning set the bus on fire. Many villagers who were around at that time, rushed to rescue the children when they saw it catch fire. They started the rescue operation on their own. The school bus had around 41 children on board the bus at the time of the mishap. Of them, three children have received major burn injuries and undergoing treatment."

Local police sources said that investigation is underway to nab the farmers responsible for burning the stubble on the roadside.

The stubble-burning issue has been widely debated in Punjab. The situation has been compounded in the last few days due to strong winds.