5-Year-Old Girl Found Alone in School Bus in Irapuã, SP

A five-year-old girl was accidentally left behind on a school bus on Tuesday morning, September 4th, in Irapuã, São Paulo. The girl, who was asleep in the back seat of the bus, was discovered about ten minutes later by a municipal employee. The bus driver reportedly drove to the storage area after completing the route to the E.M.E.I. Victor Nogaroto Keusseyan school without realizing the child was still inside. The municipality stated that the bus remained unlocked during this time. The girl's mother, Stefani Oliveira dos Santos, 27, reported that her daughter was very frightened upon waking up alone and crying for help. She expressed concern about the delay in notification, stating she learned about the incident through social media and was only officially informed by the school and the Municipal Secretariat of Education around 11 AM, despite the incident occurring at 7 AM. The prefecture acknowledged the delay in informing the mother as an error by the education team. The mayor of Irapuã visited Stefani later that day to explain the situation and apologize for the driver's oversight. The mother voiced ongoing fears for her daughter's safety, given her early departure for school and midday return. The prefecture also mentioned that the regular monitor was absent, and a substitute was assigned to escort the child to school. An investigation, including a formal inquiry, will be launched to determine the responsibility of the involved staff members, and appropriate actions will be taken. No police report had been filed regarding the incident as of the latest update.