PUDUKKOTTAI: Ten tribal girl students were injured after falling off a moving government bus near Rengammal Chathiram on the Tiruchy-Pudukkottai road on Wednesday.
The students, studying in Classes 8 and 9, had boarded the bus at the Rengammal Chathiram stop to travel to Pudukkottai for school. The bus was overcrowded, with several students standing near the entrance and on the footboard.
According to sources, the students standing near the rear footboard struggled to maintain balance due to the crowding. The bus door was allegedly open while the vehicle was in motion, and amid the rush, the students lost their footing and fell onto the road one after another.
The accident occurred around 9 am.
One of the students suffered a serious leg injury after coming under the bus wheel. The injured were taken to the Pudukkottai Government Medical College Hospital, sources said.
Following the incident, residents of the Narikuravar settlement at Rengammal Chathiram and nearby areas blocked the Tiruchy-Pudukkottai road demanding action against the bus crew members and measures to ensure the safety of students.
The Vellanur police and government officials held talks with the protesters.
TNSTC officials subsequently suspended the bus driver, Manikandan, and the conductor, Arjunan, pending an inquiry into the incident.
Meanwhile, the Vellanur police have registered a case against the driver and the conductor under relevant sections based on a complaint that the students were pushed out of the bus.
