Aligarh, May 14 : Several schoolchildren were injured after a school bus lost control and overturned into a roadside ditch in the Gangiri police station area on the Aligarh-Hathras border on Thursday, police said.

The accident created panic among the children and nearby residents. Local villagers rushed to the spot immediately after the incident and broke the bus window panes to rescue the trapped students.

Some children sustained minor injuries and were taken to a nearby medical centre for treatment, while one seriously injured child was referred to a hospital in Aligarh.

According to police officials, the bus was carrying children to school when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn into a roadside ditch.

Providing details about the incident, SP Rural Manish Kumar Mishra said that around seven to eight children were injured in the accident. He added that one child suffered facial injuries and was admitted to a hospital in Aligarh for further treatment.

â??When the incident occurred, the police immediately reached the spot. Around seven to eight children were injured. One child sustained injuries on the face and has been admitted to a hospital in Aligarh. We are investigating the matter,â?? Mishra said.

Police officials stated that all the other injured children are out of danger. Authorities have launched a detailed investigation into the incident, including an enquiry into the fitness and condition of the school bus.

The incident has once again raised concerns over the safety standards of school vehicles in Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier, on March 2, a six-year-old girl died in a tragic accident in Kasganj district after she fell through the broken floor of a moving school bus and was crushed under its rear wheel. The deceased child, identified as Ananya Kumari, was a UKG student of Mount Dev International School in Aligarh.

According to police, Ananya was returning home from school when the incident took place near the Aligarh-Kasganj border. The bus driver reportedly stopped the vehicle only after other students and passersby alerted him about the accident.

/IANS