A devastating road accident near Itawa in Rajasthan’s Kota district has claimed the lives of two young schoolgirls and left five others fighting for survival after their private van collided head-on with an SUV on Saturday morning. The mishap unfolded around 8 am on the Itawa-Bundi road near the 132 kV grid station, as the van—loaded with 10-12 students from Gaita village en route to a private school—suffered a sudden front tyre burst. This caused the driver to lose control, swerving dangerously into the opposite lane and slamming into the speeding SUV, resulting in both vehicles overturning in a cloud of dust and debris.

The victims were identified as 15-year-old Tanu Dhakad, a dedicated Class 10 student with aspirations for higher studies, and 8-year-old Parul Arya, a playful Class 4 child known for her bright smile—both tragically pronounced dead at the scene from severe head and chest injuries. The five critically injured classmates, aged between 7 and 16, suffered multiple fractures, lacerations, and possible internal damage; they were immediately airlifted to Kota’s New Medical College Hospital, where a team of specialists is providing intensive care, including surgeries and blood transfusions amid anxious waits by families.

The van driver, who sustained minor bruises and shock, and an SUV passenger with broken limbs were treated at Itawa Community Health Centre. Shockingly, the SUV driver abandoned the vehicle and fled, evading responsibility—police have filed an FIR under sections for rash driving, causing death by negligence, and hit-and-run, while deploying teams to track him via CCTV and witness statements. Itawa DSP Shivam Joshi confirmed the tyre burst as the root cause but stressed ongoing probes into the van’s fitness certificate, overloading, and whether worn-out tyres from prolonged use without maintenance played a role.

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In a swift response, local MLA Chetan Patel rushed to the hospital, meeting the bereaved parents of Tanu and Parul to offer condolences and promise government aid, including ₹5 lakh ex-gratia per family and free treatment for the injured. He assured a high-level inquiry into school van safety protocols, vowing to enforce mandatory fitness checks and speed governors. The tragedy has sparked outrage in Gaita village, where residents blocked roads demanding justice and better transport for rural kids.

This heart-rending incident exposes systemic flaws in India’s school commuting ecosystem, particularly in Rajasthan’s hinterlands plagued by unpaved roads and unregulated private vans ferrying dozens daily. With over 1,500 child deaths in road accidents nationwide last year per NCRB data, calls are mounting for GPS-enabled vehicles, trained drivers, and parental oversight—turning this sorrow into a catalyst for nationwide reforms to protect innocent lives on the way to school.

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