Chennai, Oct 11 (IANS): At least 15 school children were injured when their van overturned in Virudhachalam in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. The accident occurred after the van carrying the students entered into a race with another van from the same school.

The school van, according to the police, entered into a race with the other van at Adhanur near Virudhachalam and the driver tried to overtake it. He lost control after the van hit the other van, veered to one side and overturned. The driver of the van was also injured. Police have registered a case against the drivers of the two vans for speeding and rash driving.

Nine people including 5 school children lost their lives in Vadakanchery, Palakkad district of Kerala due to rash driving by a tourist bus driver on October 5.

The students were on a trip to Ooty when the accident occurred. The Kerala motor vehicles department has now launched a crackdown on tourist buses and vans that do not have proper documents.

Meanwhile, the local people have blocked the Virudhunagar- Chidambaram road protesting against the rash driving by school bus drivers. Kannan Ramanathan, a businessman, told IANS that "The local people had complained several times to the school authorities and the police against speeding school vans and buses. This incident is an eye opener and the police must take stringent action against those involved in this accident."