Mumbai's Chembur Tree Fall: Eyewitnesses recall school bus tragedy that claimed 11-Year-old's life

The spot where the mishap occurred on 11th Road in Chembur East on Tuesday. Pic/By Special Arrangement

Following the tragic tree-fall incident in Chembur in which an 11-year-old lost his life, eyewitnesses and first responders recalled what exactly had transpired on 11th Road, painting harrowing images of suffering children and desperate attempts to save their lives.

Suresh Bahadur, 54, residential building guard
‘I heard a loud noise around 3 pm, and we saw overhead cables crashing on the road; they got tangled in the tree that had fallen. We ran to the road and saw the bus. Children were in a panic and crying. First, the driver exited, and then the kids were evacuated from the front and rear. One child wasn't moving. We couldn't help him. The police and fire brigade were called by residents, and they arrived shortly after. They removed the last child after a 45-minute struggle. Meanwhile, we took care of the traffic on the lane. We invited emergency vehicles to park inside our building premises and created space'

Hemant Vidhyadhar Borde, 40, security guard
‘Residents of a bungalow just opposite the accident spot took the panicked kids in. They calmed them down, provided refreshments and ferried a few injured children in their own car to the hospital. Parents and police officials arrived shortly after. The last child was badly struck. He seemed to be lifeless immediately following the accident. Some residents were infuriated that the owners of vehicles had engaged in double parking on a single lane, impeding the progress of the bus. If it had passed the spot a few seconds earlier, the tree fall could have been non-fatal'

Dadishankar Gaikwad, 60, security guard
‘I heard the sound and rushed to the road, as our building was the closest to the accident spot. The tree has damaged both the passing school bus and a transport mini truck parked there. I heard children crying; it was a very horrible sight. The doors weren't opening. We broke the windows and the rear door to make way for the kids. They were extremely traumatised'

Bus owner speaks

Suresh Gala, the bus owner, told mid-day
‘I have a travel business. The bus was operated by Universal High School. It took this route daily. The bus was upgraded, and all its documents are in place. It's an unfortunate incident.'