A major tragedy was averted as the driver of a speeding train applied brakes to avoid ramming into a school van with over 60 nursery school children at an un-manned level-crossing near Harippad town in the Alappuzha district of Kerala today.
The van, carrying the children to school, got stuck on the tracks moments before Bangalore-Thiruvananthapuram weekly express was to pass through the level-crossing at Karuvatta, police sources said.
As the driver PMA Rahman and co-driver KC Shenit spotted the van and applied brakes, showing great presence of mind, railway sources said.
"Had it not been for the timely action of the driver and co-driver, it could have been a major tragedy", a divisional railway spokesman said.
The had train stopped very close to the van, averting the gruesome tragedy.
The van was carrying children from Al-Ameen Nursery school at Karuvatta.
The driver of the van said engine of the vehicle got stopped suddenly after it entered the track.
