15 school children injured after mini bus rams into tree

As many as 15 school children were today injured when a mini van carrying them rammed into a roadside tree at a village near Melur, about 30 km from here, police said.

The driver lost control of the overloaded vehicle and hit a roadside tree at Sukkampatti village. Villagers rescued the children and rushed them to the Government Hospital at Melur and Madurai.

The condition of three of them is said to be serious. The van driver has been taken into custody, police said.

The mini van operators and share auto operators routinely ferry passengers over permissible limits despite repeated warnings, they said.
 

Deputy Superintendent of Police Thangavelu said severe action would be taken against operators who flout the rules.