Punjab Govt to honour Class 9 student with bravery award for saving 4 children in Van fire

The Punjab government will honour a Class 9 student with a bravery award on the Independence Day for saving four children in the Longowal school van tragedy. Taking it to Twitter, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday, expressed his pride and stated that he salutes the "extraordinary bravery" of the girl.

Class 9 student meets CM

According to reports, the 14-year-old girl met Chief Minister Amarinder Singh at his official residence along with her father Satnam Singh and Congress leader Daman Thind Bajwa. Upon meeting, she shared the details of the tragedic incident and explained her role in rescuing the four children from the burning van. 

According to further reports, the state government will also sponsor her education. The Chief Minister also consoled Kuldeep Singh Bajwa, a member of the family that lost their children in the accident. 

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The Van Tragedy

Four children were charred to death when a ramshackle van of a private school ferrying students back home caught fire in Punjab's Sangrur district on Saturday. The accident took place on the Longowal-Sidsamachar road. 

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While eight children were rescued from the burning van by people working in nearby fields, four children, including a three-year-old girl, were burnt alive, stated reports. According to the police, the children were returning from school at the time of the incident. 

A day after the tragedy, the Punjab police slapped murder charges against the driver and the owner-cum-principal of the school to which the vehicle belonged and arrested them. 

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(with inputs from ANI)