Overview
- The van carrying five students back from a private school crashed into a pond near Bahira in Uluberia around 3:30 p.m. on Monday.
- Locals and divers pulled all five from the submerged vehicle, and doctors at Sarat Chandra Medical College and Hospital declared three children dead while two remain under treatment.
- Police recovered the vehicle with cranes, impounded it, and said it will undergo mechanical and forensic examination.
- Authorities gave conflicting statements on the driver’s status, with latest reports saying he fled the scene and a search is underway.
- Residents reported the vehicle was speeding and possibly overtaking or racing, and a state minister visited families as locals demanded stricter oversight of school transport.