Five schoolchildren, ayah die after tree falls on bus

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a shocking incident, five school children died on Friday evening after a huge tree fell on the bus in which they were travelling. An ayah of the school who had sustained severe injuries  also later died in hospital. 

The dead have been identified as Krishnendu (5), Johan(13), Ameen, Nisa and Gauri. The condition of one of the injured students is said to be serious. 

They were students of Kothamangalam Karukodam Vidyavikas school. The incident happened at Kothamangalam Nellmattam at around 4:30 pm when the children were returning home after school hours.

There were 12 students inside the bus at the time of the mishap.

The rescue works were initally carried by locals and later fireforce personnel and police joined them.. They broke open the bus' body and took out the children, five of them dead and several others injured.

The injured have been shifted to a nearby private hospital.

The government has announced Rs 4 lakh for each student who died in the incident.