MIANWALI: Nineteen students and their driver drowned when their van plunged into the Muhajir Branch Canal near Wan Bachhran, some 30 kilometre off here, on Saturday.

The incident occurred on the Mianwali-Sargodha Road at about 7:45 am when the van was bringing the children to their schools. Only a boy and a girl, who jumped off the van, could survive. A student, who was coming to Mianwali to get admission to MA, was also among the victims.

The van (CH-7563) was carrying 21 students, both male and female, from different Deras of Muzaffar Pur Shomali to Wan Bhachran. When the van reached 40-41 Burji Pul along the left canal bank, driver Imran, 22, failed to control the vehicle and it fell into the canal while crossing an 80-foot-wide bridge.

Two students Madeeha Bibi, 8, and M Aqib, 9, jumped off the van and were saved. Slippery banks and high water flow in the canal rendered rescuers unable to save the students.

Divers were called from the PAF Mianwali Base near the Chashma Barrage as a crane pulled the van out of the water.

Ten bodies of students and that of the driver were found. The victims, whose bodies were recovered, were identified as Masqsood-ur-Rehman, Riffat Bibi (a college student), Hayat Bibi, Abrar, Naveed, Qaiser Abbas, Saqib Hussain, Muhammad Akram and Saima.

Those whose bodies could not be traced were Kulsoom Bibi, Murtaza, Sher Ali, Saleemullah, Jaffar, Fazal Kareem, Adnan, Sabiha Kausar, Razia and Umair.