Sakti: In a horrific road accident reported from Chhattisgarh, a private school van full of students plunged into Sone river in Sakti district of the state on Wednesday. All the students traveling in the van are said to be safe thanks to the timely rescue of the nearby villagers.
The mishap took place early today morning in Pisaud area under Hasaud police station limits of Sakti while the students were on way to the private school. It is learnt that at the time of the accident, there were about 18 children in the vehicle. Sources said that the van while passing through the bridge built on the Sone river, van fell into the river after veering from the road. The cause of the accident was not immediately known. It was not clear whether the driver of the school was drunk at the time of the accident.
Timely Rescue By Villagers Saves Precious Lives: As soon as the passersby raised an alarm, villagers from many nearby villages rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. All the students were safely evacuated from the drowned vehicle vehicle. The children have been admitted to the hospital where they are said to be stable.
Driver Alleges Steering Failure: A senior police officer said that the students were going to Happy Public School in Hasaud at around 8 in the morning when the incident happened. The police officer said that the driver of the van, who has been taken into custody, told police that the vehicle fell from the bridge into the river due to the failure of the steering of the van. The DSP said that the driver and the nearby villagers showed promptness and took all the children out of the river safely. One child has been injured, who is being treated at the hospital. The school management is also being questioned in connection with the accident.
Children's lives put at risk in pursuit of a shortcut: The accident has brought negligence of the school autorities especially the driver, to the fore. It is learnt that the anicut through which the van driver was passing with the children in the vehicle is very narrow, while there is another way to go to school. But in pursuit of a shortcut, the van driver played with the lives of the children.
Decrepit School Vehicles: While the cause of the school van accident is being probed, locals alleged that most of the school vehicles are worn out putting the lives of schoolchildren at risk. There is resentment among the villagers of the area after the incident.
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