8 children killed as speeding bus hits school van near Udupi

Mangaluru/Udupi: Eight children were killed and seven injured in a collision between an overcrowded Omni van transporting schoolchildren and a bus at Kundapur in Udupi district on Tuesday.
The accident, which occurred at 9.30am, left six girls and two boys dead. They were among 17 students, between five and 13 years old, travelling to Don Bosco School, Trasi.Al so in the van was the driver's wife Philomena, a teacher at the school. The accident happened, sources said, when van driver Martin Olivera was turning to the right. The speeding bus, coming from the opposite direction, rammed it.
The site of accident is less than half a km from Don Bosco School. The Omni was the only private vehicle that ferried children to the school. Eyewitnesses said it was raining heavily and visibility was poor.
The high speed the Byndoor-Kun dapur bus was travelling at might have contributed to the accident in large measure, they noted.
Police said two children died instantly, while five succumbed to their injuries while being taken to hospital; one child died in hospital.
Police superintendent K Annamalai said: “The front seat of the van was occupied by Martin and his wife. Four children were at the back; the rest were in the middle of the vehicle. The van had taken a right turn and was waiting to go to the school at Mohady Cross when the bus collided with it. The van's indicators were on.“
The accident spot is on Kochi-Mumbai National Highway 66, about 90 km from Mangaluru. The deceased have been identified as Clarissa Olivera, Calista Olivera, Ancita (Princita) Olivera, Nikitha, Alvita, Roystan, Delvin Dias, Ananya, all between five and 14.
The injured are: Anson, 11, who suffered a mandible fracture and suspected spleen laceration; Minora Risha Dias, 10, who is undergoing treatment for a multiple facial fracture; Mario Olivera, 7, who suffered injuries on the forehead; Fiona Crasta, 8, who had a head injury and is under observation; Lizel Crasta, 5, who suffered a bilateral frontal bone fracture and internal bleeding in the head; Oprah Crasta, 7, suspected to have splenic laceration; and Martin Olivera, the driver, who was treated at the OPD and discharged.
Lizel is on ventilator support and her condition is said to be critical. Doctors were to decide whether to conduct a surgery after a CT scan.
Philomena, Renil, Deekshit and Ilisha were admitted to a hospital in Kundapur.Ilisha has been discharged. Bus passengers Avitha, Sangeetha Kharvi and Supreetha sustained minor injuries. The bus driver and cleaner were arrested.
The injured were taken to Karnataka Medical College hospital in five ambulances. Confusion prevailed about the how many persons were taken to the KMC and the Kundapur Hospital.