Thirteen schoolchildren were killed and 12 injured when a tempo (three-wheeler vehicle) they were traveling in fell into the Chatara canal in the eastern district of Sunsari Tuesday morning.

The mishap occurred near the Chinese Camp of Bhadgaun Sinuwari. The tempo was carrying the students of Moonlight Unique Academy Secondary English Boarding School, Jhumka.

Seven children were killed on the spot while six died undergoing treatment.

The driver of the tempo, one Shrestha, survived the mishap and is absconding.

The deceased have been identified as Sabin Khadka (7), Saroj Khadka (9), Dipesh Khadka (9), Saugat Khadka (9), Saru Khadka (8) of the same family; Arjun Khadka (9), Sanjiv Shrestha (6), Sanjiv Guragain (6), Susmita Guragain, Bibash Rayamajhi (12) of Baklauri-4, Gagan Singh Thapa (4) of Singiya-7, Naresh Choudhari (9) and Saraswoti Choudhari (13).

Three students – Prem Choudhari, Sagar Thapa and Umesh Choudhari – managed to get off the tempo before it fell into the canal.

According to eyewitness, one of the wheels of the tempo suddenly dislodged, sending the vehicle into the roadside canal.

Meanwhile, the district administration office has provided Rs 1,000 as an immediate relief and Inrawa Chapter of the Nepal Red Cross Society provided Rs. 500 to each victim’s family. Some of family members declined to take the merger amount and have sought stern punishment for the culprit.

Meanwhile, Private and Boarding Schools Organization of Nepal (PABSON), has decided to ban old vehicles and rickshaws from ferrying students in the district. Mourning the deaths, all schools of the district will remain closed on Wednesday.