Kerala school van mishap: 3 children dead

A school van carrying 26 primary school students plunged into a canal near Thiruvananthapuram on Monday killing three, while the condition of one child admitted in local hospital is critical.   

The school van, with children between the age group of 5 and 12, of Jyothi Nilayam school in Kazahkootam near Thiruvananthapuram overturned into the Parvathi Puthanar river. The dead children have been identified as Aromal, Ashwin and Kaniha Santhosh.

According to onlookers, the bus diverted and fell from the bridge into the Parvathi Puthanar river when a dog crossed the road all of a sudden. The driver of the bus, Vipin, has been rescued.

Eighteen children have been admitted to the SUT hospital. The bus fell down on a boat before sinking. The bus was retrieved with the help of fire force personnel and local people.

Rajan, a driver with the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation told rediff.com, "Local people and professional divers are assisting in search and rescue."

It may be recalled that a similar incident had occurred on another bank of the Parvathi Puthanar river last year in which six children lost their lives. There was a major hue and cry which led to school buses being driven by older men to avoid rash driving. The ill-fated bus on Monday was driven by a twenty-three-year-old driver.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, State Education minister Abdul Rabb and revenue minister Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan reached the spot to oversee rescue operations. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told rediff.com that it was too early to comment about the incident and the focus of the government is now on the rescue.