CUTTACK: An auto-rickshaw carrying 11 students fell into a canal after it overturned in Salepur on Tuesday morning. However, all the students, studying in Classes 6 to Classes 9 in Adarsha Vidyalaya at Raghabpur, were safely rescued by the locals.
According to sources, the accident took place when the vehicle lost balance while going on a narrow stretch of the canal road and overturned into canal number 5. Local farmers who were working in the nearby paddy field noticed the incident and rushed to the spot. They immediately rescued the students as well as the driver.
While six students who had sustained minor injuries were rushed to Salepur CHC, the 45-year-old driver, Riyaz Khan, who was critically injured, was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. After receiving first aid, the six injured students were discharged from the hospital.
The auto-rickshaw driver said, “A stray dog suddenly crossed the road following which I lost balance and the vehicle overturned into the canal,” said Riyaz. Meanwhile, several locals raised concerns about the overcrowding of the auto-rickshaw.