Punctual Boy Kills Himself After Missing School Bus

A 14-year-old boy in India killed himself allegedly after getting upset over missing the school bus.

The incident took place in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. The unidentified 14-year-old left his residence for school Monday morning. He, however, returned home crying a while later and informed his parents that he had missed his school bus, India Today reported.

The teen was later found hanging from a tree in the backyard of their home.

"A 14-year-old boy, who was the student of class 9 in a private school, committed suicide by hanging on Monday. His family members told the police that he was very punctual about attending his school. He was upset after he missed the bus," a police officer said, Free Press Journal reported.

The boy's uncle said he was very hardworking and good at his studies.

"He was found hanging from a mango tree in the backyard still wearing his school uniform," the officer added.

Speaking to news agency Press Trust of India, a child specialist said teenagers end up taking such extreme steps under pressure to do well in their studies.

"Teenagers sometimes take such extreme steps under pressure from their parents to excel in their studies. Besides, too much exposure to social media may also trigger such tendencies," the specialist told PTI.

According to research, suicide rates in India are highest in the age group of 15 to 29. Data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showed that 10,159 students died by suicide in 2018, an increase from 9,905 in 2017.

Earlier this year, a teen girl from Mumbai, India, killed herself by consuming poison in front of her younger brother after arguing with him about playing a mobile game. The 16-year-old took the extreme step after she did not get a chance to play the game she wanted. Following this, she consumed rat poison and was rushed to a local hospital where she died the following morning. Her body was sent for an autopsy and handed over to the family.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.