JEDDAH, 17 October 2003 — A picnic excursion turned into a nightmare for a group of girls from the International Indian School, Jeddah (IISJ) when their bus heading for Obhur met with an accident on the Makkah-Madinah Expressway yesterday.
A teacher, Rafiya Jabeen, and her four-year-old son sustained injuries and were under observation at King Fahd Hospital, while Sameera Munshi, a Class 11 girl, was treated for injuries to her hand. Six other girls on the bus who received minor injuries were treated at the hospital and allowed to go, according to members of the school management committee.
Dr. Sharif Kunju and Dr. M. Mohsin said the bus hit one of the poles that supported a signboard across the expressway indicating “Exit to Obhur 1.5 km.”
Bus driver A. Ghaffar, who has been arrested, reportedly said that he lost control of the vehicle, a Mitsubishi 2000, due to “sudden jamming of the steering.”
An angry parent, who did not want to be identified, remarked: “If the driver’s version is to be believed then it reflects on the poor quality of maintenance of vehicles at the school.”
