Chandigarh: Assistant Secretary Pradeep Kumar of the RTA office in Mahendragarh, Naranul, faced immediate suspension on Thursday following a tragic school bus accident that claimed the lives of five students and left 15 others injured. The Haryana government issued an official order placing Kumar under suspension with immediate effect for his failure to regulate vehicles lacking valid documents on the road.

Additionally, the Additional Transport Commissioner (Road Safety) instructed officials to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a report within three days. The report is expected to identify the reasons behind the mishap and name the responsible officer or officials from the office of DTO-cum-Secretary, RTA, Mahendragarh at Narnaul, or any other individuals accountable for neglecting their duties.

Preliminary investigations by the police indicated that the bus driver may have been driving under the influence of alcohol. Mahendragarh Station House Officer (SHO) Uday Bhan stated that upon receiving the news of the incident, they arrived at the scene. The driver is suspected of being intoxicated, and further investigation is ongoing.

According to one of the injured students, the accident occurred due to overspeeding of the bus, which collided with a canal. "The driver was drunk, and the bus was overspeeding. When the driver attempted to turn, the bus collided with the canal and overturned. There were 50 students on board," the student informed the police.

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