Watch CBS News

10-year-old recounts escape from deadly school bus crash

23 children killed in India bus crash
23 children killed when school bus plunges into gorge in India 00:59

A 10-year-old boy is telling the story of his escape from a tragic school bus crash that killed four adults and 23 children. Ranveer Singh was thrown through a window after the bus rolled about 25 feet, according to the Hindustan Times, an English-language publication in India.

"I heard a loud bang and bus starting rolling down the hill," the boy said. "Just then the window near my seat broke and I and a girl sitting by my side fell out."

He said he was "looking at a bike passing by" the moment it happened.

The bus plunged off a mountain road Monday into a deep gorge in the Himalayan foothills. The crash occurred in the Kangra Valley, about 300 miles north of New Delhi.

Initial reports indicated the bus driver was speeding as he took the children home and lost control at the edge of the gorge. The bus fell some 200 feet to the ground below, according to police officer Sunil Kumar. 

Officials said, however, it would be difficult to know for certain the cause of the crash until they learn more details and speak to survivors, The Times of India reported

INDIA-ACCIDENT
People helping to rescue injured after a private school bus falls into a deep gorge in Nurpur, India, on April 9, 2018.  AFP/Getty Images

The adults killed included the bus driver, two teachers and another woman, officials said. At least 10 children were hospitalized. Ranveer was admitted to a hospital in Nurpur, the Hindustan Times reported.

The search for survivors ended late Monday night, with the bodies of the dead lying on the concrete floor of the Nurpur mortuary, covered by sheets.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.