In an accident, 22 students from Changu Kana Thakur School in New Panvel, 40 km from Mumbai, suffered burn injuries when their bus caught fire.

The incident occurred at around 7 am near Sion-Panvel highway and the bus was carrying 38 students, aged between 8-15 years.

The accident took place when students were on their way to school after a 10-days break due to the H1N1 flu scare. The police had arrested the bus driver-owner of the bus, Vishwanath Phadtare (24), and helper Anil Yadav (20) were booked on charges of negligent conduct with respect to machinery, causing grievous hurt and endangering life and safety of others as well as under sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.

As per the Supreme Court's order in 1997, it is necessary for all school buses to carry fire extinguisher.

According to Dr. Sunil Keswani from National Burns Centre, Airoli, "Once they are stable, the children admitted here will all need skin grafts. An 11-year-old boy with 70 per cent burns is in an unstable condition."

Senior police inspector from Panvel (City) police station, Ahmed Pathan said, "Phadtare had halted the bus as soon as he realized that it was on fire and the shrieks of the children had attracted the local people who rushed to the vehicle. City police officials as well as traffic cops immediately reached the spot. Even as the rescue operations continued, we arrested both Phadtare and Yadav."

All the injured children were admitted to National Burns Centre and Masina hospital are critical, but stable.