- A school van driver and 10 children narrowly escaped falling trees in Kerala's Thrissur district
- CCTV footage shows trees crashing near a play school just seconds after the van stopped
- No injuries reported despite damage to nearby vehicles and trees falling on both van sides
A school van driver and around 10 children had a miraculous escape in Kerala's Thrissur district after strong monsoon winds suddenly uprooted massive trees near a play school, with CCTV visuals capturing the terrifying moment.
The incident took place on Monday near Poochatti Bhavans Play School.
CCTV Shows Trees Crashing Within Seconds
Dramatic CCTV footage shows large trees crashing onto the road moments after the school van had come to a halt. The fallen trees missed the vehicle by just a few centimetres, sparing those inside from what could have been a major tragedy.
The incident unfolded in front of the play school, where several young children witnessed the sudden weather event.
The driver, Jayan, was on his routine trip to drop children at school when a powerful gust of wind struck the area.
Speaking to NDTV, he said the weather did not appear dangerous before the sudden change.
"It was not scary weather before that. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind came and within about 30 seconds it caused so much destruction," he said.
As soon as the first large branch fell, Jayan rushed to move the children to a safer location.
"The moment I saw the first branch break, I took the children to safety. Even the trees passed very close to three children. By God's grace, nobody was injured," he added.
He later ensured that all the children were safely dropped at school, calling it the biggest relief after the incident.
Despite trees falling on both sides of his van and several nearby vehicles being damaged, the school van remained unscathed.
"Trees fell on both sides of my van, but somehow the vehicle was saved. It was pure divine luck," he said.
The incident left many children shaken after they saw trees crashing around them. Following the incident, the school management declared a two-day holiday as several students were reportedly in shock.
While many vehicles in the area were damaged, no injuries were reported.
Monsoon Active, IMD Issues Alert
The incident comes amid active monsoon conditions in Kerala, with the India Meteorological Department warning of unstable weather across several districts.
The IMD has issued an orange alert for parts of the state, indicating the possibility of very heavy rainfall. Thunderstorms, moderate rain and strong winds with speeds of up to 40-50 km/h have been forecast in multiple districts, including Thrissur.
On Tuesday, heavy rains combined with strong winds led to waterlogging in several areas and prompted precautionary measures in vulnerable regions. Authorities have urged residents to stay alert as the monsoon continues to remain active.
