Tragedy averted

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An autorickshaw carrying seven school children nearly overturned into the Parvathy Puthanar on Thursday evening. No one was hurt, officials of the Police and of the Fire and Rescue Services said.The incident occurred on the eve of the first anniversary of the Karikkakom school van tragedy which claimed the lives of six kindergarten students and their caretaker.Thursday evening’s mishap involved lower primary school children belonging to the Chakkai LP School, Fire and Rescue officials said. The children were returning home from school.‘’The vehicle tipped, but fortunately did not overturn,’’ an official at the Valiyathura police station said.‘’We received an alert by 4 pm. But by the time we reached the spot, the local people had lifted out the children,’’ a Fire and Rescue official attached to the Chakkai station, which rushed a unit to the spot, said.In the Karikkakom tragedy also, the school van had plunged into the Parvathy Puthanar. hat was in February, 2011. The State received another shock seven months later when a school bus overturned into the same canal, this time at Channankara, killing four children.