In a tragic incident, two children drowned at Marad in Kochi after the school van they were travelling in fell into a pond. The children were both four years old. The caretaker of the children also died in the accident.
The children have been identified as Vidya Lakshmi and Adityan. The caretaker is Latha Unni.
Both of them were students of the Kids World Day Care in Marad. According to reports, the two students were declared dead on arrival when they were brought to the hospital.
The accident happened at 4.30 pm, when they were on their way home. Residents who witnessed the accident jumped into the pond to rescue the kids and the others.
"We pulled out the van from the pond and found the children and the woman. People are still searching in the pond to see if there are more children," a local resident said.
Another child and the driver of the school van were injured in the accident and have been admitted to a hospital in Kochi. A bulldozer was later brought to take the vehicle out.
Marad Municipal Chairperson Sunila said, "There were three kids, their nanny and a driver in the vehicle. Two of the kids were already dead by the time they reached the hospital. The third child is not critical and is getting medical help at the Welcare hospital."
Sunila also said that since many people had witnessed them drowning, authorities will not insist on a post mortem, and the bodies will be handed over to the families immediately.
Kochi police Commissioner Dinesh, too, told the media that the dead bodies will be handed over to the families without conducting a post-mortem. "Further details are not available. Another child and driver have been admitted in hospital," he said.
Many eye witnesses told Malayalam channels that the road where the accident happened was in a bad condition.
According to visuals from the scene of accident, this happened in a low-lying narrow road, adjacent to the pond. There is no wall or divider separating the pond and the road.
This is a developing story.