Nine students of Periyapatna School admitted to Cheluvamba Hospital in Mysuru while others treated in Hunsur

Mysuru: Even as the City Police have launched a special drive to check for the safety of vehicles transporting school children, about 20 school children had a providential escape with minor injuries, as a school van fell into a road side ditch in Periyapatna taluk in the district, at about 8 am today.

The incident occurred between Habbanakuppe and Hosakoppal villages in Periyapatna, when a school van belonging to M.R. Noble English Medium School in Kampalapura, Periyapatna taluk, hit a culvert and fell into the ditch injuring all 20 children travelling in the van. Driver Srinivas also sustained injuries. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

According to eyewitnesses, had the van moved ahead by 10 metres, it could have hit an electric pole with high tension wires and the incident could have turned rather severe. Following the accident and on hearing the screams of the children, the villagers working in nearby farms rushed to the spot and pulled them out of the vehicle safely.

Fortunately, at the same time, four Good Samaritans namely Ravi Gowda, Sagar, Vijaykumar Gowda and Naveen Gowda, who were passing by on the same road stopped their car and rushed to the rescue of the children. They shifted the children to Hunsur Taluk Hospital.

On arrival at the hospital, the doctors conducted thorough checks on the children and the driver. Among the 20 children, 11 were administered first-aid, while the remaining nine children were shifted to Cheluvamba Hospital for Women and Children in Mysuru for treatment. According to doctors at Cheluvamba Hospital, the children are out of danger and are expected to be discharged later in the day. Meanwhile, driver Srinivas, who sustained injuries on his forehead and nose, is being treated at K.R. Hospital.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Srinivas, claiming that he was driving at a normal speed, said that the incident occurred when he tried to avoid hitting a vehicle coming in the opposite direction.

He further stated that the van had some technical issues related to brake and he was not informed about the snag by school authorities.