School Van Plunges into Pond in TN; Nine Children, Teacher Dead

Nine schoolchildren and their teacher died on Thursday as the school van they were aboard plunged into a deep pond in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district.

The van skidded off the road and fell into a 15-ft deep pond near Katripullam village near Vedaranyam, some 350 kms from Chennai. The van was carrying 25 children from the Devi Nursery School.

According to police, 11 students have been rescued and sent to hospital while search was still on to find the missing five.

The van driver, who is absconding, seemed to have lost control as the road was slippery, police said.

The van has been pulled out of the water.