Children rescued after school van plunges into river in Bihar

At least fifteen school children had a narrow escape after their school van skidded off the road and fell into a river in Bihar’s Begusarai district on Friday morning, officials said. The accident took place in the morning hours and led to anxious moments for parents. The emotionally-charged crowd was later pacified by the police personnel.

Police said that the incident took place at Suryapura village under Bhagwanpur police station when a private school van was carrying 15 children at the time of the incident. As soon as the van reached the outskirt of the village, it plunged into the local Bainti river. There was about four-five feet of water in the river when the mishap occurred.

Soon after the accident was reported, the parents of the children, school administration and villagers rushed to the spot and pulled the children out from the river and saved their lives. Eyewitnesses of the incident said that the children owed it to the locals who jumped into the river, broke the window glasses of the van and saved them.

Preliminary investigation suggested that the driver lost control over the vehicle when he reportedly felt sleepy. Injured students were shifted to a private nursing home. A case has been registered against the driver for negligence and an investigation is on.

Begusarai range DIG Rajesh Kumar said that three of the injured were admitted to a private hospital and others were sent home after treatment.

Police said none of the injured was in a severe condition. Some of them complained of uneasiness having consumed the river water. The local administration met with all the students to ensure their safety and recovery. The DIG said that a notice has been issued against the school while a probe is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.