Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jul 17: Six school children, who accidentally fell into the Chittari rivulet while crossing the wooden bridge built across it on their way to homes in Ajanur Chittari isle near here, had a miraculous escape on Thursday July 16.

Vijit, Ajit, Sajit, Rahul and Sachin were among the six children who fell in to the rivulet. They are the students of Ajanur Iqbal Higher Secondary School. After alighting from a bus, they were walking along the wooden bridge to the isle, when a wooden plank of the bridge fell off. The children fell into the rivulet and their bags and books were washed away. Three men, Sugunan, Binu and Sunil, who were following the children on the bridge, immediately jumped into the rivulet and saved the children. The people on the banks, who saw the incident, rushed to the spot with their boats and brought the children and their saviours to safety.

This 165-metre wooden bridge had been laid about five years back, at a cost three lac rupees, by the local people. The bridge is well past its life, as normally such bridges last for only three years.