40 students, aged eight to fifteen, suffered injuries when the first floor verandah of a private school building collapsed on Friday morning in Lucknow’s neighbouring Barabanki district. Police officials stated that the incident took place at approximately eight in the morning, when students were getting ready for the morning assembly.
The incident is said to take place at Awadh Academy School. Barabanki District Magistrate, Satyendra Kumar said around 25 injured kids are seeking treatment at Jahangeerabad Community Health Centre located only 300 meters from the accident site while the remaining youngsters who were stranded on the first level following the collapse of a section of the floor were saved.
The officials further that in order to investigate the cause of the cave-in, a magistrate’s inquiry has been requested, and the school has been shut until further orders. He said that the school administration and any individuals accountable for the incident will face legal action, as reported by Hindustan Times.
बाराबंकी के जहांगीर थाना क्षेत्र स्थित अवध अकादमी स्कूल का जर्जर छज्जा गिरने से तीन दर्जन छात्र घायल, 3 गंभीर। जर्जर होने के चलते विद्यालय को मिला था नोटिस, फिर भी चला रहा था विद्यालय। प्रेयर के वक्त हादसा। डीएम पहुंचे। मुख्यमंत्री ने लिया संज्ञान।#Barabanki #School #GNCReport. pic.twitter.com/gr4jQshfHT
— Nishant Chaurasiya ☕ (@YourGhanshyam) August 23, 2024
Initial report: Why did the floor collapse?
Barabanki Superintendent of Police (SP), Dinesh Kumar Singh said that according to the initial assessment, the first floor presumably collapsed as a result of overloading.
Singh further said that the construction quality wasn’t up to par and that many kids gathered on the first level to wait in line for the morning assembly.
According to the report, the school manager had disappeared from the school premise following the incident. The manager is now a subject of thorough investigation and would face consequences if his involvement of any sort is found.
थाना जहांगीराबाद क्षेत्रान्तर्गत स्थित स्कूल का छज्जा गिरने से बच्चों के घायल होने व उपचार के सम्बन्ध में पुलिस अधीक्षक बाराबंकी श्री दिनेश कुमार सिंह की बाइट-#barabankipolice #UPPolice@Uppolice@adgzonelucknow@igrangeayodhya pic.twitter.com/SarZWrsAu6
— Barabanki Police (@Barabankipolice) August 23, 2024
According to the SP, parents of the students were notified, and a support desk was established at both the hospital and the school to assist them in making it home safely.
One other issue, as reported by HT, has come to light: although the school is affiliated with the 10th standard, the administration was admitting students and holding classes up until the 12th standard. He said that the officials in the education department have been asked to provide a report on this matter.
