In a tragic accident, a seven-year-old girl died in front of her father after she fell from his scooter and was run over by a bus at Kozhinjampara in the north Kerala district of Paalakkad on Monday morning, the police said.
The girl has been identified as Nafisath Misriya, a second-standard student at St Paul's School in Kozhinjampara.
According to police, the accident occurred when Nafisath's father was taking her to school on his scooter.
On the Palakkad-Pollachi Road he lost control of the scooter after an auto rickshaw ahead applied sudden brake due to a large pothole in the road.
As a result, both the man and his daughter fell onto the road.
However, Nafisath fell to the right side of the road and was run over by a bus coming from behind, the police said.
People who gathered at the spot rushed her to hospital where she was confirmed dead, they said.
Nafisath's father escaped with minor injuries.
The incident led to mass protests in the area with people claiming that accidents have become frequent due to the bad road conditions there.
The police said they have initiated an investigation into the incident, and a case will be registered shortly.
The girl's body has been shifted to a government hospital for further procedures.
State General Education Minister V Sivankutty has expressed his condolences over the tragic death.
"It is with deep sorrow that I heard the news of the death of Nafisath Misriya, a second-grade student, in the accident at Kozhinjampara after being hit by a bus. This heartbreaking incident occurred while she was on her way to school with her father on a scooter and has left us all in deep grief," Sivankutty posted on Facebook.
He added, "The sudden loss of that little child, full of dreams, is unbearable pain. I share in the sorrow of Nafisath Misriya's family, classmates, and teachers during this tragedy."
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