Thiruvananthapuram: At least 21 students were injured after a van carrying schoolchildren overturned into a canal at Poovathoor near Neyyattinkara on Tuesday morning. The accident occurred at Vandithadam in Kunnathukal panchayat around 9am when the vehicle lost control and plunged into the Muttakkavu canal.According to preliminary reports, the vehicle was transporting students to LMS LP School run by the CSI Church at Poovathoor. Since the school’s regular bus was unavailable, authorities arranged a vehicle from outside to ferry the children. It was the hired vehicle that met with the accident while navigating a narrow stretch of road along the canal. Witnesses said the vehicle veered off the road and toppled into the canal. Fortunately, the water level in the canal was relatively low, preventing a major tragedy. However, 21 children sustained injuries, with one student reported to be seriously hurt. The ayah accompanying the children was also injured.Residents rushed to the scene and pulled the trapped children out of the canal before emergency services arrived. The injured were given first aid and later shifted to the CSI Medical College Hospital, Karakonam, and the Neyyattinkara district hospital for treatment. Hospital authorities said most of the children were out of danger.Parassala police registered a case and launched an inquiry to determine the exact cause of the accident.
