Salem: In a horrific tragedy, an eight-year-old girl of a private school in Azad Nagar area here was crushed to death by the school van inside the campus on Tuesday, cloaking the entire locality in grief. The school declared a holiday after this incident even as police security for the campus has been increased.
Ayisha Suhaina, one of the three children of Rafiq Zachariah, 40, was walking towards her classroom through the play ground, was unexpectedly knocked down by the school van motoring in, minutes after the girl was dropped by one of her relatives at the entrance to the school this morning. Rafiq, her father, working as casual labour in Saudi Arabia had come home recently on a brief holiday.
Suhaina was trapped under the rear wheel of the van and was crushed to death on the spot. On information, Sooramangalam police rushed to the campus, a private Islamic school in the neighbourhood, retrieved the girl's body and sent it to Salem GH for post-mortem. Rajendran, the van driver was arrested and further investigations are on.
Truiple suicide: In another heart-wrenching tragedy in Salem today, three members of a family- Sivaraman, 77, his wife Pushpa, 66, and their visually disabled son, Babu, 45-, died after consuming poison at their home in Gugai area, depressed over the non-return of about Rs 4.75 lakh, given as loans by Sivaraman to several people in their neighbourhood. Police are investigating.
