Juhi, the mother, sits clutching her son’s cricket bat tightly against her chest. She simply cannot believe that her lively 11-year-old son, Bihan, will never again rush to the field with his bat after returning from school. Just an hour ago, his lifeless body was pulled from the mangled wreckage of the school bus.
This heart-wrenching scene unfolded following a tragic accident in Chembur on Tuesday afternoon. While returning home from school, a massive tree suddenly collapsed onto the Universal School bus. Bihan, a fourth-grade student, died on the spot, and four other students were injured.
Videos circulating on social media show Juhi sitting motionless, clutching her son’s bat. Even as neighbors try to console her, she remains speechless, repeating only, “Bihan has to go play cricket; call him.”
Rajiv Malhotra, a close family friend, said, “Bihan was a very bright and well-mannered boy. He would constantly say he wanted to become a professional cricketer when he grew up. He used to tell my son Dev, ‘Brother, teach me cricket.’ Juhi lived for her son; even when he was at school, she would check on him via video calls. She still cannot accept that Bihan is gone.”
Eyewitnesses reported that around 1:30 PM on Tuesday, the bus was transporting 13 students through the Shell Colony area of Chembur. Amidst strong winds, an old tree standing by the roadside suddenly crashed onto the roof of the bus, crushing its front section.
Local residents and the bus conductor immediately sprang into action to rescue the children. Breaking the windows, they pulled the children out one by one. Five of them were rushed to Zen Multispecialty Hospital in Chembur, where doctors declared Bihan dead.
The hospital’s director, Dr. Roy Patankar stated, “Among the four injured, three are boys and one is a girl. Two of them have undergone all necessary tests, including CT scans. Everyone’s condition is currently stable; there is no cause for alarm.”
Upon learning of the incident, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde rushed to the hospital. After meeting the families of the deceased and the injured, she said, “As a mother, I am deeply saddened. The only consolation is that 12 of the 13 children are safe. However, we could not save one life.” She has directed the municipal corporation to identify hazardous trees across the city and take immediate action.
The Chembur police have registered a case of unnatural death and initiated an investigation. Authorities are examining why the tree was in a dangerous condition and whether there was any negligence on the part of the municipal corporation.
A cricket bat, a host of dreams, and a mother’s heart-wrenching wail—only a void remained on the streets of Chembur.
