A disturbing case of alleged negligence has emerged from Noida, where a five-year-old UKG student of Amity International School was reportedly locked inside a school bus for nearly seven hours after falling asleep during the morning commute.
The child was later found terrified and drenched in sweat inside the parked vehicle, triggering outrage among parents and raising serious concerns over school transport safety protocols.
How The Incident Happened
According to the child’s parents, the student boarded the school bus as usual on Thursday morning. During the journey, the bus allegedly developed a mechanical problem mid-route. The school arranged for another vehicle to transfer the students.
However, amid the chaos of shifting children, the UKG student who had fallen asleep was allegedly left behind inside the faulty bus.
Unaware that a child was still inside, the driver and conductor reportedly failed to check the vehicle before driving it to a parking yard nearly 25 kilometres away in Sector 44. The bus was then locked and left unattended in an isolated area.
Locked Inside for Hours Without Food or Water
Several hours later, the child woke up alone inside the locked bus. With no one around to respond to his cries for help, he remained trapped in the sweltering vehicle.
According to the family, the five-year-old was soaked in sweat and had consumed all the food and water he had carried to school. The child was reportedly frightened and exhausted by the time he was rescued.
Parents’ Panic After ‘Absent’ Alert
The ordeal came to light in the afternoon when the child did not return home at the designated drop-off time. Panic set in immediately.
When the parents contacted the school, they were allegedly informed that the child had not attended class that day. The family has claimed that no “absent from school” notification was sent to them a lapse they describe as a serious procedural failure.
Frantic calls were made to school authorities, and the police were alerted. A search operation began to trace the missing child.
How Was He Rescued?
After hours of confusion and distress, the faulty bus was finally located in an isolated parking area. Upon opening the vehicle, the child was found hiding under a seat, terrified and dehydrated.
The boy was immediately reunited with his parents. A video recorded by the child’s father at the spot shows him expressing anguish over the incident, questioning how a bus could remain parked since morning without anyone checking inside.
Fortunately, the child was reported to be physically unharmed.
School’s Response
In an official statement, the school said immediate action was taken once the matter was brought to its attention.
“The child, who had fallen asleep during transit, was located without delay and safely reunited with the parents. We are relieved to confirm that the student was unharmed,” the statement read.
Shocking negligence! #AmityInternationalSchool ‘s UKG child was locked inside a school bus for nearly 7 hrs. Children were shifted to another vehicle but the careless staff left the sleeping child inside. @TheStatesmanLtd pic.twitter.com/hryz47HKsK
— Shashikant Sharma (@MarwariPatrakar) February 26, 2026
The school further stated that strict accountability measures are being implemented and additional safeguards are being reinforced to prevent such incidents in the future.
Serious Questions Over Safety Protocols
The incident has sparked outrage among parents and residents in Noida. Questions are being raised about mandatory bus checks, staff accountability, and whether proper attendance monitoring systems were in place.
Child safety experts have long emphasised the importance of physical verification of school buses after every trip a step that appears to have been overlooked in this case.
Authorities are expected to examine whether negligence charges will be pursued against the transport staff involved.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
