Kannur Peruman tragicroad accident
KANNUR: At least nine children studying in a lower primary school at Peruman here were killed when a vehicle rammed them on Thursday. Eight of the victims are girls.
The children were coming out of Sree Narayana Vilasam Lower Primary School at 4 p.m. when the utility vehicle, registered in Malappuram, hit them, the police said. Peruman, in Irikkur police station limits, between Kuyiloor and Irikkur, is on the Taliparamba-Iritty State Highway.
Twelve seriously injured children were rushed to the Pariyaram Medical College and AKG hospitals here. The dead are Anusree, 7; Ramzana, 6; Nandana, 6; Mithuna, 5; Sneha; 7; Sanjna, 5; Sandra, 7; Sona, 7; and Vaishnav; 8.
Four children admitted to AKG Hospital are Abhinath, Sneha, Athul and Abhishek. The police said Abdul Kabeer from Malappuram district, who was driving the vehicle, was taken into custody.
The police said he was the only person in the vehicle. The police said, quoting eye witnesses, that the vehicle was on the wrong side of the road. Local people rushed the children to the hospitals. Some of them said the accident site wore a gruesome look, as the road was strewn with schoolbags, books and boxes. Six of the nine bodies have been kept in the mortuary of AKG Hospital. Sona succumbed to her injuries in the Pariyaram Medical College Hospital. District Collector Ishita Roy and political leaders visited the hospital in the evening.
The police said an investigation was on into the cause of the accident. Though the driver reportedly told the police that the accident occurred when he was trying to save a child who was crossing the road, N.P. Balakrishnan, Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the accident was apparently caused by rash driving and negligence on part of the driver.
CondolencesSpecial Correspondent writes from Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has expressed shock and grief at the demise of the nine children. He said here on Thursday that directives had been given to those concerned to provide the best treatment to the injured children who were admitted to various hospitals in the area.
State secretary of the CPI(M) Pinarayi Vijayan descr ibed the accident as unusual and demanded stringent action against those responsible for it. He said the entire State was shaken by it. He wanted assistance to be given for the treatment of the children and financial assistance for the bereaved families.
Education Minister M.A. Baby said directives had been given to the Director of Public Instructions to conduct an inquiry into the accident. “No kind words can console the grief of the loved ones of these little children who were the promise of their families and the nation. However, we will decide on the relief measures to be taken after discussing it with the Chief Minister,” Mr Baby said. The Education Minister left for Kannur from the capital city late on Thursday night.
KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala has also condoled the demise of the children in accident. He asked the government to provide immediate assistance to the families of the dead and to the injured children.
