Channankara tragedy: Guidelines issued to schools

Wednesday, September 28, 2011: In the backdrop of the tragic incident in which four kids had lost their lives after a school van carrying 23 children plunged into the Parvathy puthanar canal here on Monday evening, the government has issued certain guidelines to schools.

Schools would have to ensure that the vehicles transporting students reduce speed while moving close to water bodies. The recommendation is one of the 14 guidelines issued by the Director of Public Instruction to ensure the safety of students who rely on school buses and private vehicles for transportation.

Each school should assign a teacher and another staff to handle the day-to-day affairs related with the transportation of students. An executive member of the Parent Teacher Association shall assist the teacher in charge.

A committee comprising PTA members should closely monitor the service of the vehicles and periodically submit reports. The school authorities have also been instructed to keep a register with details of the vehicles engaged in transporting students.

Meanwhile the police have registered a case into the tragic incident. According to police reports the cleaner of the vehicle identified as Shibin had driven the vehicle, and has been named as the first accused in the case. Meanwhile the driver identified as Jefferson and the school authorities have been named the 2nd and 3rd accused in the case.

The van was carrying about 25 children from the Saint Andrews Jyothinilayam school at Kazkookottam. Most of the children either swam to safety or were saved by local people.

Local residents undertook the initial rescue operation immediately and saved about 10 children. Fire and Rescue Service personnel and the police joined them soon.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and Education Minister Abdu Rubb visited the accident site.

While most of the children were rescued by locals who gathered at the spot, two boys aged 10 and 14 died at a hospital. The condition of most of the children, shifted to different hospitals, was stable, sources said.

The mishap occurred at Channankara, 25 km from Thiruvananthapuram, off a national highway, when the school bus was carrying the students back home through a narrow road along the banks of a branch canal of Parvathy Puthanar river.

The road had no sidewall. The exact cause of the accident was yet to be established but the driver denied he was over-speeding.

Eyewitnesses said a major tragedy was averted as locals, familiar with the canal, plunged into rescue work instantly and brought ashore most of the children within minutes.