Mumbai: 11-Year-Old Vihaan, Who Died After Tree Fell On School Bus, Cremated With Cricket Ball

Mumbai Bus Tragedy: Vihaan Srivastava, 11, who died after a tree fell on a school bus in Mumbai's Chembur area, was cremated with his cricket ball Wednesday. Vihaan's family was filled with grief and disbelief at the funeral.

Family members, neighbours, children, and political representatives demanded a thorough investigation and fixing responsibility for the tree fall in Chembur that claimed the child's life.

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Vihaan, the only child of his parents, was remembered as a bright, cheerful, and outgoing child whose sudden death has left his family devastated. A family member said, "He was like sunshine to us. He was very intelligent and loved cricket. We cremated him with his cricket ball because the game meant so much to him."

Tree Falls On School Bus

On Tuesday, an 11-year-old boy's journey from school to home in Mumbai proved fatal. An old roadside peepal tree in the Chembur area fell on the school bus, killing Vihaan Srivastava and injuring four other students. The incident occurred at 2.58 pm near a building on Road No. 11 as the bus was dropping off 13 students from Universal High School at their homes.

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Falling Of Trees, Lightning Strike Not In Human Hands: Maharashtra Minister

On the other side, Maharashtra's Shiv Sena Minister Sanjay Shirsat has kicked up a row by saying that falling of trees and lightning strikes are not in human hands. A day after he made the controversial remarks, the Social Justice Minister on Wednesday sought to control the damage, claiming that he had been misquoted and that the civic body should have ensured proper trimming of trees in advance to prevent such incidents.

Asked about the incident, Shirsat said, "How was one to know that the tree was going to fall? Falling of a tree or lightning is not in our hands. Maybe there were heavy winds," he had said. His comments drew sharp reactions from the opposition Congress and NCP (SP). Slamming the minister, Congress leader Nana Patole said that the remarks show "the level of arrogance" within the government.

(With Jagran.com/PTI Inputs)