The private van, carrying 21 children in all, fell into a 20-feet deep lake at Kathiripulam village after the driver lost control, police sources told Deccan Herald.
Twelve children were saved by divers, even as hundreds of local residents flocked to the scene, sources said. The van was on its way to a private matriculation school at Kariyapattinam. The driver was allegedly overspeeding. Negotiating a sharp curve near the lake, the vehicle tipped over.
Chief Minister M Karunanidhi announced a solatium of Rs 50,000 each to the families of the deceased children and Rs 1 lakh to the dead teacher’s kin.
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