Local residents spring into action, rescue 5 children

KOCHI:Even hours after the tragedy, Ravi Thekkedathu and his wife Sakunthala - the first to rush into rescue operations - were still in shock. “I saw the faces of three children inside the school van sinking in the pond,” said Ravi.

“On hearing the scream of Mukesh, a relative, I jumped into the pond and rescued five children after breaking the window pane. Driver Babu (Anilkumar) also helped me. During this time, Benny (another resident) also came to the spot and lent a helping hand.”

The local residents shifted the children, helper and the driver to the hospital before the teams of Fire and Rescue Services and the Police reached the spot. The other three children were brought out after raising the vehicle from the water using a rope. All were breathing when they were pulled out, he said.

According to him, they could bring out helper Latha Unni only at the end. “When we brought her out, she too was breathing and was rushed to the hospital,” he recalled. Sakunthala took the rescued children to a nearby home and administered first aid. “When I reached the spot, I could see only the top of the van which was sinking in water. The pond is filled with mud and moss,” said Benny, a mechanic.

On hearing the screams of a girl from a nearby house, he rushed to the spot. Benny sustained minor injuries on his hand while breaking the glass of the vehicle to rescue the kids. Vallabhan, Anish and Vimal, all local residents, also joined in the rescue operations. The rescued children were later handed over to their parents after the school authorities reached the spot.According to eye-witnesses, Anilkumar - the driver of the vehicle - rose to the occasion. Otherwise, the death toll would have risen, they said.