Ajman pupil dies after being run over by school bus

Driver held after girl killed outside her home, police say

The driver of the bus has been arrested, Ajman Police said. Silvia Razgova / The National

A pupil in Ajman died on Tuesday after being run over by a school bus, police said.

Officers said Sheikha Hassan, 12, got off the bus near her home in the Hamidiya area and was then run over and sustained fatal head injuries.

The incident took place at about 3:48pm as she returned home from Umm Ammar School.

“The bus driver moved [drove] forward without paying attention and ran over her, causing her death,” Ajman Police said on Wednesday in a post on its social media channels.

Officers said the bus did not have a supervisor at the time.

The driver has been arrested and an investigation launched.

The girl was said to be from an Arabian Gulf country.

Jameela Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education, said everyone was grief-stricken and she extended her sympathies to the family of the girl.

“With great sadness, we lost one of our pupils at Umm Ammar School in Ajman today — student Sheikha Hassan — who passed away due to a traffic accident,” said Ms Al Muhairi.

“Our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased, her friends and her teachers. Our entire educational family is grief-stricken for the loss of our daughter, Sheikha.”

Ajman Police also offered its condolences to the family of the girl. Officers urged drivers to follow the rules of the road.