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Nine killed after school minivan plunges into Tamil Nadu gorge
Nine people, including a 12-year-old boy, died in a minivan accident in Tamil Nadu while on an excursion from Kerala. Four others were injured.
Nine people, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed and four others injured near Tamil Nadu’s Valparai-Pollachi ghat road on Friday when a minivan carrying a group of teachers and students from Kerala lost control and plunged into a gorge.
The group from the Government Lower Primary School in Kerala’s Malappuram district, was travelling to Athirappilly and Pollachi, as part of a summer vacation excursion, when they met with the fatal accident.
Chittoor deputy superintendent of police Kuttykrishnan, told reporters, “Nine persons have been identified as dead and four others who are injured have been admitted to the Medical College hospital in Coimbatore. We are given to understand that there were 13 persons in the van including the driver.”
“The minivan is reported to have slipped off the ghat road near the hair pin bend number 13 and falling into a gorge and landing close to the hairpin bend number 9. The group were travelling from Valparai to Pollachi when the accident occurred. Reasons for the accident are unclear at the moment,” he added.
The deceased were identified as Ajitha (54), the school head-mistress, Ramla (52), Suhara (43), Asha (41), Majeed (43), Sajitha (45), Shakeela (37), Rukhiya (39) and Hisham (12). Most of the deceased are teachers of the government school.
Gopalan, a non-teaching staff at the school, told reporters that the group had left for the one-day excursion on Friday morning.
“I was also invited for the trip, but due to some personal reasons, I couldn’t go. Our staff go on such summer excursions every year,” he said.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the deaths of the school staff and promised all government assistance as part of medical treatment for the injured.
Kerala general education minister V Sivankutty said the department has contacted its counterparts and police officials in Tamil Nadu.
“I contacted the office of the Tamil Nadu CM and requested for adequate help for those affected in the accident. We are constantly in touch with the IAS officers in Pollachi and Coimbatore districts. The government will extend all assistance to the families of the deceased,” said Sivankutty.
