Naziha fell asleep in Abu Dhabi school bus; Locked in, forgotten... hours later 4-year-old was dead

A four-year-old Indian school girl who was found dead in the bus in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday was left asleep for several hours after the van was locked by the driver and the bus supervisor, a senior police officer was quoted on Wednesday as saying.

ALSO READ: Family still awaiting clearance for burial

Naziha Lal Ahmed (Supplied).

Naziha Lal Ahmed, who was in the private Al Worood school, was found dead at the end of the school day after she apparently suffocated inside the locked bus on a hot day.

“The bus driver and supervisor are principally responsible for the child’s death. The rules we have set are very clear and they are intended to upgrade safety on school buses,” Abu Dhabi traffic police chief Brigadier Hussein Al Harthi said, quoted by the semi-official Arabic language daily 'Al Ittihad'.

The paper said its reporter went to the child’s home and met her grandfather, who said the family was too distressed to speak to anyone.

“I can tell you that we lost our granddaughter because of negligence and a grave mistake by persons who are supposed to look after school children, not leaving them to die inside buses,” Asghar Ali told the paper.

He said Naziha got on the school bus around 6.30am and that the family received a phone call from the school management around 12.30pm.

“They refused to tell us what the problem was. When we went there, they conveyed to us the sad news. I would like now to ask the bus driver and the supervisor why they have done this. How can they lock the bus without checking whether there are any school children left inside,” he asked.

The paper quoted Al Worood Principal Roderick Williams as saying he offers condolences to the child’s family.

“ I am very sad for this accident, which is the first in our school’s history of more than 30 years. Police are still investigating and the school is waiting for the outcome. We are also conducting our own investigation.”

Memorial service

School business manager Dina El Tayeb Rabei has reportedly contacted the family of the child to consult as to when  a memorial service can be held in the school.

Embassy mourns

Anand Bardhan, Counsellor (Community Affairs) at Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi, expressed shock over Naziha’s death. 

“I did try and speak to the father of the child, but he was not in the right frame of mind to talk. However, I did talk to a close family friend, who told me that the family is in a state of shock.

“It’s a tragic incident and we will extend all assistance to the family,” he told Emirates24|7.

Earlier report:

A child was found dead in a school bus in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, October 7, 2014.

The Abu Dhabi Educational Council (Adec) stated that the bus was carrying students from a private school in Abu Dhabi.

It said investigations are on to determine whether it was a natural death or was caused by the negligence of the school and its transport system.

The council assured that all relevant procedures will be carried out in conjunction with concerned authorities to ensure full investigation and proper action.

Adec has extended sympathy and support to the family of an Indian girl who was found dead in her school bus in Abu Dhabi.

Hamad Ali Al Dhaheri, Adec's Executive Director of Private Schools and Quality Assurance Sector said the council would provide full support to the police and other concerned authorities investigating the incident.

"The Counil is working with strategic partners to guarantee safety of the students through sound school transport regulations," he added.

Al Dhaheri also emphasised the role of private schools in strict adherence to the school transport regulations.

Brigadier Hussein Ahmed Al Harthy, Director of Traffic and Patrols Department at the Abu Dhabi Police said the school transport system is being revamped in terms of regulations, procedures and development of human resources.

"An integrated smart system and a comprehensive compulsory training progamme is being developed for the school transport system in partnership with the Department of Transport, Adec and the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council," he added.

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