Seven children were killed and 17 others injured when a school bus fell into a canal at Mahawa border out post near Attari border on Tuesday.

The incident occurred while the school bus, carrying 37 students, was crossing a narrow bridge on its way to drop the children home after school, Superintendent of Police Harkamalpreet Singh said.

“The bus got stuck on the bridge and the driver tried to manoeuvre his way out following which the vehicle overturned in the canal,” he said.

“Out of 37 students, seven were killed and 17 others received minor injuries,” the SSP said, adding, the injured have been hospitalised.

The bus belongs to DAV Public School and the deceased students, who were in the age group of 10 and 15 years, belong to the nearby villages of Tibbi, Muhawa and Neshta, police said.

“Bus driver Charanjit Singh, from Rajataal village, joined duty yesterday (on Monday) and is absconding after the incident,” the SSP said, adding, the driver and the owner of the bus have been booked.

Residents from the villages around the area assembled at the spot and helped in rescuing the injured.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Tuesday, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president and Amritsar MP Captain Amarinder Singh expressed his condolence to the parents of the children and prayed for the safety and early recovery of those injured.

The PCC president called for strict monitoring of operation of the school buses and said school managements should be extra cautious in hiring drivers.

IMAGE: The school bus which fell into a canal in Amritsar. Photograph: ANI