2 school kids killed, 10 go missing as bus falls into canal

Rajahmundry: Two children were killed and 10 went missing when a school bus carrying KG students fell into a canal near here in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh today, a senior district official said. East Godavari Collector Neethu Prasad tonight said only two students, and not four as reported earlier, were killed in the incident that took place at Ganti Pedapudi Village of P Gannavaam Mandal of the district, 65kms away from here.

In a statement, she identified the deceased as Rohit and Bindu Madhavi. Prasad said as per information collected from the parents of the children who had boarded the bus, the vehicle was carrying 29 children when the incident took place.

Earlier reports quoting police sources had put the toll at 4 and the number of missing at 15 and said the bus was carrying 45 people. The incident occurred when the driver of the school bus wanted to avoid a head-on collision with a speeding lorry coming from opposite direction, resulting in the fall of the vehicle into the canal.

Local villagers rescued 15 persons from the bus of SaiTeja Public School. The children were returning home from the private school when the mishap took place.

The bus was pulled out of the the waters and the two crew members of the bus, including the driver, are absconding.

Police have launched manhunt to apprehend the duo. Divers have been pressed into service to trace the missing students, Prasad said adding the search operations are taking place within one kilometer of the area where the bus has fallen into the canal.