Ten children were injured, when the school van in which they were travelling overturned near the Sogathur lake on Wednesday morning.
Police sources said three children sustained grievous injuries and the rest were given first aid at Government Hospital, Dharmapuri, and were sent home.
As soon as the van overturned, villagers rushed to the spot and rescued the children and sent them to the hospital in the available vehicles. Timely intervention of the public saved the lives of the children, eye witnesses said.
Students belonged to Don Matriculation School in Dharmapuri town. The accident took place when the children were picked up from Papparapatti, Pennagaram and its surrounding areas in the morning.
Van driver G. Gnanasekar (44) was arrested by the police.
He was produced before the magistrate who remanded him in judicial custody for 15 days.