Kollam: A school bus ferrying 22 students met with an accident in Nilamel here on Monday. The students are from Believers Church Vidya Jyothi English School in Kilimanoor. The accident was reported at Maramkuzhy in Nilamel around 1.30 pm. 

Residents in the area said that the school bus was ascending a slope when it lost control and fell into a nearby plot. The people rushed to the spot, hearing screams of the children. The students were taken out of the bus and rushed to nearby hospitals in private vehicles which were passing by. 

All the students have been rushed to Kadakkal Taluk Hospital and another private hospital. "The bus was finding it hard to drive up the slope. A car was coming in the opposite direction, which halted by the roadside to make way for the bus. Still, the bus couldn't move forward. The ayah of the bus stepped out and placed a brick near the rear tyre to prevent the vehicle from rolling over. However, the vehicle lost control, ran over the brick and fell into a private property," said Arjun VS, an eyewitness who came to rescue the children. 

The residents said that the accident would have been even more serious had the vehicle fallen onto the right side of the road where there is a large pond. Brake failure is suspected as the reason for the accident. Officials of the Motor Vehicles Department reached the accident site and inspected the vehicle.