Breaking news of the day comes from Goa where a bus accident took place on saturday afternoon, killing atleast seven people which included four school children.

The incident took place on Saturday afternoon when a private mini bus plunged into the Mapusa (Kalvi) River at the Aldona-Calvim ferry wharf in Aldona village, 22km from the capital city of Panaji, when breaks of the bus failed.

The police said they did not have the exact number of children on board the bus. But according to witnesses, there were around 20 children in the bus.

The bus driver, whose father is the owner of the bus, has been arrested by police and booked for the offence of culpable homicide.

Soon after the mishap, rescue operations were initiated with the help of local and marine police, the navy, the coast guard and the army. Three Chetak helicopters and 10 divers assisted with canoes by locals managed to extricate seven people almost two hours after the accident.

Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat announced compensation of Rs 2 lakhs to the families of the victims. The state government has also ordered a magisterial inquiry.

The Goa Carnival, that was scheduled to be held on Sunday, was meanwhile, called off.