The police was attacked while controling the situation.
Angry locals in South 24 Parganas district near Kolkata on Monday vandalized a private car and tried to set it on fire after it rammed five students, killing three of them and leaving two others severely injured. When the police rushed to the spot to control the situation, they were attacked with bricks. Several policemen were injured.
In the lathicharge that followed, the entire area was turned into a battleground. Locals claimed many of them were injured too.
The five students of Roshokunjo High School on Bakrahat Road in Bishnupur were heading home around 3 pm when the accident took place.
Initially, five children were reported dead, then police said two have died. Later in the night, the police officials confirmed the death of three students.
The locals said that accidents in that stretch of road were frequent. They claimed that the driver of the vehicle was drunk and there was no police posting outside the school to ensure the students' safety.
In a separate incident, in the heart of Kolkata, a 45-year-old man was killed at the crossing of College Street and Surya Sen Street when a bus mounted the pavement.
A constable posted there and two others were also severely injured. They have been admitted to hospital. Two other people were given first aid and released.
These incidents come at a time when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has initiated the Safe Drive Save Life movement to curb deaths due to road accidents. Petrol pumps have been ordered not to give fuel to two wheelers if the driver and pillion rider are not wearing helmets.
But at least four people have died in one day raising questions about the effectiveness of the campaign.