Around 22 boys and girls, all below 10 years, of a private school suffered minor injuries, when the van in which they were being taken to school, fell into a pit in nearby Tirupur.

The mishap occurred when the driver tried to avoid hitting a bus coming from the opposite direction at Vijayapuram and the van fell into a pit and overturned.

The driver has claimed brake failure as the reason for the mishap, police said.

However, parents of the students, who reached the spot, squatted on the road, condemning the negligence of school management and transport authorities, as the vehicle was given 'fitness certificate' on Tuesday.

Senior district and police officials promised the parents that a detailed inquiry would be conducted into the issue.

Luckily, the students only sustained minor injuries and no one was hospitalised, police said.