Prayagraj, Feb. 26 -- A major accident was narrowly averted on Wednesday afternoon after a school van carrying children lost control and nearly plunged into a deep ditch on the Lucknow-Varanasi Highway in Pratapgarh. The vehicle stopped suddenly after crashing into the iron angle of a roadside village name board. The incident occurred around 1.45 pm near Pure Mohan Chhaiva village under the Dehat Kotwali police station limits. The van, belonging to Sumit Singh Convent School in Bahlolpur, was dropping students home after classes. More than a dozen children from Prithviganj and Khajurni were on board. As the van approached a turn near the Pure Mohan Chhaiva bridge, the driver reportedly lost control and the vehicle veered towards a deep ditch. It stopped abruptly after hitting the roadside board, preventing a serious mishap. The sudden impact triggered panic among the children, though only minor injuries were reported. Prithviganj police outpost in-charge Akhilesh Pratap reached the spot after being alerted and informed parents, who rushed to the scene. htc...