Chennai: Around 15 students of a private school had a close shave after the van ferrying them plunged into a five foot deep trench dug for a storm water drain in Mogappair on Monday evening.
Luckily for the students, there were many people in the neighbourhood and they rushed to their rescue as soon as they saw the vehicle slowly plunging into the pit, police said.
The incident happened at around 1.30 pm. The van ferrying students of a private school was dropping off the children at their homes. When the vehicle was on Senthamizh street in Mogappair near Sri Asalathamman temple, the driver attempted to reverse the vehicle in the narrow lane and lost control, leading to the vehicle sinking into the trench dug up for laying storm water drain pipes, according to police officials.
Locals rushed to the rescue of the children hearing their screams. The children and the driver got off the vehicle before the vehicle was left hanging in the trench.
“A few of them suffered minor injuries and were discharged after treatment at a nearby hospital,” a police officer said.
The children were fortunate considering that a few feet from where the van plunged, construction rods had been erected in the trench. Police investigations revealed that the van driver was not taking the usual routes and taking shortcuts through bylanes in the neighbourhood. Police registered a case under section 279 of IPC (rash driving) and arrested the van driver Jacob (31). He was produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.
