Close shave for school children as van catches fire

Though the driver of the car has fled after removing the children from the van before the fire engulfed it, parents here are in a tizzy over the safety of their children travelling to schools in private transportations.

The car caught fire while its driver was picking up school children around 9 am from different points. Seeing the smoke, the driver stopped the vehicle, removed the children and took them to a safe place. Within minutes the vehicle was gutted, the police said.

Police said the mishap could have occurred due to substandard gas kit. The police seized the burnt vehicle and launched a manhunt to capture the driver.

The incident has yet again exposed as to how dangerously the private transporters are carrying the school children even as the Odisha High Court had issued certain guidelines for the same.