Kerala: School bus overturns, Class 5 student crushed to death in Kannur; caught on camera
Kerala bus accident: Police said Nedhya, a Class 5 student, was thrown from the bus and crushed under the wheels after the driver lost control in Kannur.
A 10-year-old girl studying in Class 5 died and 18 other students were injured when a school bus overturned at Valakkai in Kerala’s Kannur district on Wednesday. The girl, who was travelling in the bus, was thrown out and was crushed to death as it overturned, news agency PTI reported, citing unnamed officials.
The deceased was identified as Nedhya S Rajesh, it reported.
The bus belonged to the Chinmaya School in Kurumathur in Kannur district. One of the injured students is in a critical condition.
There were 20 students on the bus when the accident occurred. The bus lost control while giving way to another vehicle and overturned on the road, the PTI report added.
“The incident occurred near the Valakkai Bridge when the bus lost control on a slope and flipped over. 15 children were injured in the accident,” news agency ANI quoted the public relations department of the Kerala government as saying.
Police said Nedhya was thrown from the bus and crushed under the wheels after the driver lost control. While some sources, according to NDTV, suggested a brake failure as the cause, the police said that a thorough investigation is underway.
Locals quickly transported the injured students to Taliparamba Taluk Hospital for treatment, and the girl's body was taken to the Government Medical College at Pariyaram, NDTV added.
Incident caught on camera
The incident was captured on a CCTV camera, and a video of it has gone viral on social media. The footage shows the school bus suddenly losing control and flipping onto the opposite road. Shortly afterwards, locals can be seen rushing towards the bus.
HT.com, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
The bus, owned by Kurumathur Chinmaya School, was transporting students home after school hours.
Residents in the area quickly sprang into action, launching rescue efforts immediately following the accident. NDTV reported that there was no immediate statement from the school authorities.
Police have filed a case against the driver under sections 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 125 (A) (endangering human life or personal safety due to negligence or recklessness), and 106 (1) (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Meanwhile, residents have criticised the “unscientific design” of the road, blaming it for the accident and alleging that such incidents frequently occur in the area.
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