The government in Goa has cancelled pre-Lent carnival festivities after a bus plunged into a river, killing six people, including four schoolchildren. The tragedy occurred on Saturday at a ferry terminal in Calvim, 12 kilometers east of Panaji, the state capital. The children, three Catholics and a Hindu, aged from 5 to 11, were students at St Thomas Girl’s High School in Aldona, a village in northern Goa. The school, which was closed today to mourn the dead children, has asked its students to attend the funeral of the Catholic girls that was scheduled for later in the day. The Hindu child was cremated yesterday. The driver of the bus is believed to have lost control of the vehicle before it plunged into the Kalvi river. He was reportedly driving the bus without the engine running down a slope leading to the ferry terminal. Local residents criticized what they said was the slow response by emergency services in getting to the scene and the failure of the state government to keep a promise to improve safety by building a bridge over the river. The police have arrested the driver, who swam to safety, and charged him with culpable homicide. Out of respect for the victims, state Chief Minister Digambar Kamat canceled the three-day traditional pre-Lent carnival festivities that were scheduled to begin yesterday. He also announced 200,000 rupees (about US$4,000) in compensation for the victims’ families. Meanwhile, Archbishop Felipe Neri Ferrao of Goa offered his condolences to the families yesterday in a message of support.