Chennai: Four school students, all in the age group of 10, had a close shave on Thursday evening after the omni van in which they were travelling caught fire in Adambakkam.
Around 3 pm, the students were being ferried back home from their school in Nanganallur when the incident happened. The van, owned and driven by V. Mahesh of Kovilambakkam, was hired by the parents of a few students to ferry their children to and from school.
Of the seven students who were picked up from school, three were dropped at Thillai Ganga Nagar after which the others were to be dropped at Jeevan Nagar in Adambakkam, the police said.
When he was crossing 6th main road in Thillai Ganga Nagar, the driver noticed smoke emanating from the engine and pulled the vehicle over. Locals swiftly pulled the children to safety.
By the time the fire personnel and police reached the place, the locals with the aid of a metro water tanker attempted to douse the fire, but the van was completely gutted, the police said.
The van was running on LPG fuel and a major mishap was averted, a police officer noted. The Adambakkam police have registered a case and further investigations are on.
