A sad event happened on Wednesday evening in Kannur district of Kerala when school bus carrying children tipped over near Valakkai Bridge, a class 5 student, Nedhya S Rajesh dead. The bus in question belonged to Chinmaya Vidyalaya; as was carrying fifteen students home, it skidded off a slope and toppled over.
The 11-year old who was a victim in the accident was thrown out of the bus and was run over by the wheels. Initial findings, however, indicate that brake failure could have been the reason, although the police are yet to make conclusions.
Main Accident Information and First Countermeasures
This occurred at about 4 in the evening, fourteen other students were injured. Local people immediately moved the wounded to a Taliparamba Taluk Hospital for medical attention. The body of the 19-yr-old girl, Nedhya, was moved to the Government Medical College in Pariyaram where an autopsy could be conducted.
The driver has been arrested and charged under Section 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act for rash driving, Section 125 (A) for endangering lives through negligence and Section 106(1) of the said Act for causing death through negligence.
Local Emergencies and Enquiry
People of this area have been pointing out difficult trekking of road near the Valakkai Bridge alleging that this unscientific design might have led to the mishap. These allegations will probably be investigated as part of a continued investigation to establish all causes of the occurrence.
STORY | Student killed, 18 injured as school bus overturns in Kerala’s Kannur
READ: https://t.co/Nywqm53hQ6
VIDEO:
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/haVqljIAR6
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 1, 2025
This incident has been captured on CCTV; a video clip has been found to be very real and gruesome. However, no official report has been provided on the part of Chinmaya Vidyalaya as to the sad demise of its student.
This is a call for law-makers and stakeholders involved in the provisions of school transport, as well as improvement of road status, to endeavor towards putting in place increased safety measures so as to avoid such frustrations in the future.
