Nine school students narrowly escaped a fatal accident after the pool car they were travelling in was hit by a container truck on Monday morning at Ethelbari in the Falakata police station area of Alipurduar district.
A police source said the students, who are between four and six years old, are from Jogijhora in Ethelbari. They were on their way to Kendriya Vidyalaya-II in Binnaguri.
The accident occurred on AH48 around 7am when a container truck travelling from the opposite direction reportedly lost control and collided with the pool car.
In an attempt to avoid a serious impact, the pool car driver swerved and crashed into a roadside pillar.
Residents rushed to the spot, rescued the injured students and took them to the state general hospital in Birpara.
Hospital sources said that eight of the nine students were discharged after receiving primary treatment.
One student, identified as Nitik Oraon, was admitted for further treatment. Doctors said it would take some time for him to recover.
The residents alleged that road barriers along the stretch near Ethelbari have led to accidents in the past.
They added that the authorities should remove the barriers and take measures to improve road safety on the highway.