The students of Baselios Vidyanikethan School in Ernakulam had begun their excursion at around 6.45 in the evening on Wednesday, October 5 from their school premises. Hours later, the bus collided into a long-distance bus of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and overturned in Palakkad. Nine persons, including five children of the school, died.
Anjana Ajith (17) of Tripunithura, Diya Rajesh (16) of Mulanthuruthy, Emmanuel CS (17) of Mulanthuruthy, Elna Jose (15) of Chemmanad and Criss Winterborn Thomas (16) of Paingarapilly passed away after being shifted to two hospitals. Anjana, Diya and Emmanuel were taken to the Palakkad District Hospital, while Elna and Criss were at the Alathur Taluk Hospital.
Vishnu VK, a teacher of the school who had accompanied the children on their trip, also died in the accident. A resident of Mulanthuruthy, he was 33 years old.
Three passengers of the KSRTC bus also passed away. Deepu Banu (27) of Punalur, Kollam and Rohith (24) of Nadathara in Thrissur, died after being taken to the Alathur hospital. Anoop (22) of Payappally in Kollam was the third passenger who died in the accident. He was taken to the Palakkad district hospital.
The remaining students of the bus – 38 of them – were taken to Thrissur Medical College. The PRO (public relations officer) of the hospital said that 36 students had already been discharged, and the other two who were admitted, are also out of danger.
“After leaving the school at 6.45 pm, we were having a good time on the bus. We had food at a place near Angamaly and the bus left the stop by 9.45pm. A couple of kilometers after that, the teachers took all our phones. Then we watched a movie. It was after this that the accident happened. Our bus hit the back of the KSRTC and overturned. I feel horrible thinking of the blood in the bus. The students at the back were safe but I don’t know the situation of the others who sat in front,” said one of the students at the hospital to Manorama News.