Like any other day, Ghosh and Das were returning from the Bagha Jatin Sammilani Girls High School, in a caged van-rickshaw, which is banned by the state government. Dropping other students, the rickshaw pulled slowly on the narrow Bagha Jatin road connecting Raja S C Mullick road with NSC Bose road.

Around same time at 3.30 pm, a mini-bus plying on Bijoygarh College to Howrah route started its journey towards Howrah. Five minutes later, the bus was on the Bagha Jatin road. Seeing deserted road and very few passengers on board, the driver pressed on the accelerator. The driver had, probably, failed to see a speed-breaker near the accident spot. And, on hitting the breaker, he lost control over the speeding bus, which crushed the rickshaw in which Ghosh and Das were heading towards their homes.

However, as the bus rammed a shop on the other side of the road, Ashok Banik, the owner of the shop, was preparing to leave for an afternoon nap. But before he could realise, the bus had hit the van-rickshaw. Banik escaped unhurt, and possible death, by jumping out of the way of the bus. Overcoming from the shock, Banik turned towards the rickshaw-van that had been crushed with the children still trapped inside.

“Both of them were severely injured and were bleeding profusely. The driver was lying on the ground. When we ripped open the van, both the children were unconscious,” said Arup Dutta, a local resident. All the victims had suffered head injuries.

Locals immediately rushed them to hospitals. While Ghosh was taken to SSKM, Das and the rickshaw-puller were admitted to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and M R Bangur hospital, respectively.