An LPG-powered Maruti Omni used for ferrying school children burst into flames at a congested locality in West Kochi on Friday, raising concerns about the safety of vehicles transporting schoolchildren.
The incident sent shock waves among eyewitnesses and parents of the children.
According to the police, the incident took place around 9 a.m. at the Vaalummal Junction near Thoppumpady, about two kilometres away from the school.
The van, owned by a person called Roshan, a native of Palluruthy, was returning after dropping 12 students at the Kendriya Vidyalaya INS Dronacharya in Mundamveli at around 8.45 a.m.
“The driver, Lawrence, noticed flames emitting out of the van the moment he turned the ignition on. The entire vehicle was charred beyond recognition within some twenty minutes,” said Anil George, Sub-Inspector of Police, Thoppumpady.
Preliminary investigations showed that the driver had earlier repaired the vehicle on his own after a technical fault.
Lawrence, meanwhile, escaped unhurt as he had run to safety.
On an alert by the locals, a fire tender unit from the Mattancherry fire station was pressed into service.
A section of locals, meanwhile, staged a protest against the fire officials accusing them of responding late to the accident. The fire officials attributed the delay in reaching the spot to the heavy traffic on the city roads.
It took them around half-an-hour to douse the fire even as the vehicle was charred beyond recognition.
The Motor vehicles Department has launched a probe into the incident.
“The driver is also said to have repaired the tube leading to the petrol tank, which could also be a possible reason,” said Jeby Cherian, Joint Road Transport Officer in-charge, Fort Kochi.
“It could have been a major tragedy had there been children on board,” said a top MVD official in Kochi.
