Three persons, including an 8-year-old student, were killed and eight children suffered grievous injuries when a school van plunged into an irrigation channel near Puthukkadai in the district on Monday.
Police said the van, which was going to the matriculation school at Karungal on Monday morning with nine students and a woman caretaker, Nesam, plunged into the irrigation channel at Vencode near Puthukkadai when driver Jenish (22) of Karungal lost control of the vehicle.
While Jenish and V. Kanaga Latha (60) of Vencode, who was taking bath in the channel, were killed on the spot, the injured children were rushed to the nearby hospitals, where M. Sajin Kumar (8) of Ullankaattuvilai died.
All the eight injured children and Ms. Nesam are undergoing treatment in the hospitals.
As information spread, inconsolably crying parents of the victims from Puthukkadai and Vencode rushed to the spot, where the public, police and the fire service personnel carried out rescue operation.
Collector, SP visit spot
Collector Sajjan Singh Chavan and Superintendent of Police N. Manivannan rushed to the spot and visited the hospitals where the children were undergoing treatment. The condition of the injured children is said to be stable. Puthukkadai police have registered a case.