Car mows down kids, parents

KOLKATA: Two persons, including a schoolkid, were killed and several others injured after a Scorpio’s driver lost control while overtaking a bus from the wrong side on Monday afternoon at Raspunja School More in Bishnupur, South 24-Parganas.
The children, along with their guardians, were waiting on the pavement to return home when the accident occurred. The occupants of the Scorpio took advantage of the chaos that followed the accident and fled.A mob gathered at the spot and fought pitched battles with the police who resorted to lathicharge. Locals, however, claimed that at least five people have been killed in the accident. But police maintained two were killed and four are in a critical condition in the hospital.
Gyanodamoyee Girls’ School and Pran Krishna High School for Boys are next to each other on the Thakurpukur-Bakrahat road. The pavement outside the schools was crowded after classes got over. According to an eyewitness, the grey Scorpio approached from the Bakrahat end at a high speed, overtook a bus from the left and climbed onto the pavement, knocking down 10 people.
“When we rushed to the spot, there was nobody inside the Scorpio. People were lying in pools of blood.,” the eyewitness said.
Police could not provide details of the dead or injured till late in the evening. However, sources claim the dead included three students of class VI, VII and IX and two parents.Two among the injured have been shifted to SSKM Hospital.
“Students had left the campus when we heard a commotion. When we rushed outside there was blood all around and people were lying on the ground,” said Shankar Chakraborty, a teacher of the boys’ school.
Trouble started when firemen and cops tried to move the Scorpio. People blocked traffic and pelted stones on police. Later, a huge force reached the spot and resorted to lathicharge.“Had the mob not turned violent, we may not have lathicharged,” said Uttam Mitra, DSP, South 24-Parganas.