The Valparai accident was due primarily to negligent and unsafe driving by the driver, says a report by the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department before the Kerala High Court on Tuesday.
On April 17, a 13-seater van had met with an accident while travelling from Valparai to Pollachi, resulting in the death of 10 people of an excursion team from the Government Lower Primary School, Pang, in Malappuram.
The report concluded that the suspected primary cause of the accident was the improper driving technique of the driver, who continuously applied brakes on a prolonged descent instead of engine braking. This caused the braking system to overheat, affecting the stopping capacity of the vehicle. Further, the report said the driver was unfamiliar with hilly terrains and did not possess the technical know-how to navigate narrow roads and in assessing road width.
The report also pointed out that the concrete retaining wall at the site of the accident did not have sufficient height to effectively prevent the vehicle from overturning.
The report was submitted in a writ petition registered suo motu by the High Court that concerns unauthorised vehicle modifications and consequent road accidents.
Published – June 16, 2026 10:12 pm IST
