Morning Scare in Nashik: School Bus Packed with Up to 40 Students Trapped in Deep Pothole

NASHIK, INDIA — A routine morning commute turned into a stressful ordeal for dozens of young students when their school bus became firmly trapped in a massive, deep pothole in Nashik's bustling Dhatrak Phata area on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. The incident has reignited fierce public criticism over the deteriorating condition of the city's road infrastructure.

The incident occurred during peak morning hours as the bus, carrying between 35 and 40 students, was navigating through the Dhatrak Phata intersection. Due to recent heavy rainfall, the massive pothole was reportedly obscured by muddy water, making it nearly impossible for the driver to gauge its actual depth.

As the bus moved forward, one of its heavy rear wheels plunged deep into the crater, causing the vehicle to tilt sharply to one side. The sudden impact and drastic tilt sparked immediate panic among the young children on board.

Hearing the cries of the children and the roaring of the bus engine as the driver tried to break free, nearby shopkeepers, pedestrians, and auto-rickshaw drivers immediately rushed to the scene.

Realizing the bus was dangerously tilted and unable to move under its own power, the citizens formed a human chain to carefully evacuate the frightened students through the emergency exit and main door.

Thanks to the swift response of the local community, all 35 to 40 children were pulled to safety without a single injury. The students were later sent to their respective schools via alternative transport arranged by the school management and worried parents who rushed to the spot.

"The bus tilted so suddenly that the kids were terrified," said a local shopkeeper who assisted in the rescue. "Thankfully, the vehicle didn't tip over completely. We had to act fast to get them out because the road is highly unstable."

The Dhatrak Phata incident has sparked severe backlash from Nashik residents, parents, and civic activists against the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC). Locals allege that despite repeated complaints regarding the hazardous craters forming across major intersections, civic authorities have only carried out superficial, temporary fixes that wash away with the first spell of rain.

Heavy machinery and a towing crane were eventually brought in to pull the trapped school bus out of the crater, causing severe traffic congestion along the route for several hours.

Community leaders have now issued an ultimatum to civic body officials, demanding immediate, high-quality resurfacing of the Dhatrak Phata stretch before a more severe—and potentially fatal—accident occurs.