Malappuram (Kerala) | Kerala ministers on Thursday congratulated a private bus driver and conductor who had rescued a toddler found crawling in the middle of a road at Pulikkal here.

Transport Minister C P John and Labour Minister Bindu Krishna contacted bus driver Ramachandran and conductor Navas and thanked them for saving the life of the child.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when Ramachandran, who was driving a private bus on the Puthiyedathparamba-Feroke route, noticed a toddler crawling in the middle of the road.

He immediately stopped the bus in such a way that other vehicles would not hit the child.

Navas then rushed out of the bus, picked up the child and handed the toddler over to the parents, who live nearby.

The family later said the child had accidentally come out of the house and wandered onto the road.

Both ministers spoke to Ramachandran over the phone, enquired about the incident and congratulated him and Navas for their timely and humane intervention.

The Kerala Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) also highlighted the incident through a post on its official social media page.

Describing the visuals captured by the bus's CCTV cameras as frightening, the department said the incident underscored the importance of remaining alert while driving.

"Expect the unexpected" is a mindset that drivers should maintain at all times, the MVD said while congratulating Ramachandran and Navas for their timely intervention and for saving the child's life without causing any further accidents.

Malappuram District Police also praised both the bus crew in a Facebook post.

"Isn't this what deserves our applause? The driver stopped the bus as soon as he saw the toddler crawling on the road. The conductor rushed out and rescued the child before any other vehicle could reach the spot," the police said in the post.

Police commended the two bus employees for their swift action in rescuing the child and safely returning the toddler home.