Kollam, Dec. 5 -- A section of National Highway 66 near Kottiyam caved in on Friday, creating a large crater that engulfed part of the service road and a portion of the main carriageway, narrowly avoiding a tragedy involving a school van carrying children.
The collapse occurred near the Mylakkad approach to a bridge, where officials suspect the failure of a protective retaining wall led to the adjoining embankment giving way. Motorists in the area reported hearing a loud rumble just before the road sank.
Thanks to the quick response of locals and rescue teams, the children in the school van were evacuated safely before the vehicle could slide further into the crater. No injuries have been reported so far.
Traffic along the busy Kollam-Th...