Maharashtra minister's bizarre 'tree collapse beyond human control' remark after 11-year-old's death
PTC News Desk: Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat initially gave a cautious response when asked about the death of an 11-year-old boy after a roadside tree fell on a school bus in Mumbai on Tuesday. However, as questions became more direct, his remarks appeared less measured.
Rejecting the Opposition's claim that the incident exposed shortcomings in the government's monsoon preparedness, Shirsat said accidents like falling trees or lightning strikes cannot always be predicted or prevented.
"Everyone is aware of the incident that took place yesterday. The government is set to make a statement regarding it in the House today, and instructions have also been issued to the corporation to ensure such incidents do not occur," Shirsat, from Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena said.
The accident occurred in Mumbai's Chembur area on Tuesday afternoon when a nearly 70-year-old roadside tree was uprooted and crashed onto a school bus operated by Make Force, which was carrying students of Universal High School. Eleven-year-old Vihan Shrivastav died in the incident.
Five students were injured in the accident. Four suffered minor injuries, while one boy was critically hurt. All injured students were rushed to Zen Hospital for treatment.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar expressed grief over the tragedy, describing it as "heartbreaking." In a post on X, she paid tribute to the deceased child and wished a speedy recovery to the injured students.
She said the incident, which occurred during heavy rainfall in Chembur, was deeply saddening and expressed condolences to the bereaved family.
- With inputs from agencies
