- A five-year-old girl died after a tree fell on a school bus in Dakshina Kannada district
- The accident occurred near Kalleti in Bantwal taluk during school bus drop-off
- Two other children were seriously injured and are receiving hospital treatment
A five-year-old girl was killed, and two other children were seriously injured after a tree fell on a school bus in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka this afternoon. The victim was identified as Chiranvi, a UKG student at a school in Kalladka.
The accident occurred near Kalleti in Bantwal taluk when the bus was dropping the pre-primary students home after school. Locals rushed to their rescue and started rescuing the students who got trapped after the tree suddenly collapsed on their bus.
Chiranvi, who was seriously injured, was taken to the Puttur Government Hospital by a woman in an autorickshaw. She died on the way. The two other injured students are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Kalladka and Mangaluru.
Bantwal's tahsildar visited the Puttur hospital after the incident. The district administration has assured financial assistance to the victim's family.
Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, who said he was "deeply shocked" by the incident, has extended condolences to the family and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured children.
The tree collapse was caused due to continuous rainfall and strong winds over the past few days, he noted.
Parameshwara said he has spoken to the deputy commissioner and has asked district in-charge minister UT Khader to personally oversee the relief and support measures.
He has also directed the district administration to ensure appropriate compensation to the victim's family and provide the best possible treatment to the injured children.
Last month, an 11-year-old student died in a similar tragedy in Mumbai's Chembur. Four other students were also injured after a large tree collapsed on their school bus on June 30.
