Snake on road made driver swerve autorickshaw with six children; tragic accident in Pathanamthitta

KONNI: An autorickshaw carrying students from school to their homes lost control and fell 50 feet, killing two children. The autorickshaw was carrying students of Sree Narayana School in Thannithode Karimanthodu. The victims were identified as Adilakshmi (8), a third-grade student, daughter of Shij, in Thoompakulam, and Yadukrishna (4), an LKG student, son of Manmadhan, in Thoompakulam.

The driver of the autorickshaw swerved the vehicle after seeing a snake on the road, causing the vehicle to fall into a gorge. The accident took place at 3.45 pm on Wednesday.

Three children were injured in the accident. Of these, a student named Jewel Sarah Thomas is in critical condition. There were six children in the vehicle. The children were taken to school and back home in the same autorickshaw every day.

The accident took place in an area adjacent to the forest. The autorickshaw overturned several times and fell into a stream, a tributary of the Kallar River. Locals, the police, and the fire force carried out the rescue operation.

Adilakshmi and others were immediately taken to the hospital, but Yadukrishna could not be found. After a long search, the child's body was found in the stream at around 8 pm. Jewel Sarah Thomas, daughter of Manoj in Thoompakulam, was admitted to the private Medical College Hospital in Thiruvalla.

Sabarinath, son of Anil, and Alphonsa, daughter of Shaji, were admitted to a private hospital in Pathanamthitta. The autorickshaw driver and one child escaped unhurt.