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Carmel Convent tree collapse: Physical, emotional fall-out weighs students down
Students involved in the tree collapse accident at Carmel Convent, Chandigarh, are battling psychological trauma after undergoing extensive surgeries
Even after four days of the tragic incident wherein a large portion of a peepal tree fell on a group of children at the Carmel Convent School in Sector 9 on July 8, killing one student and injuring 18 others, the trauma is still fresh students’ mind as they face the emotional and psychological fall-out of the incident.
Fifteen-year-old Ishita Sharma was having lunch with her friends when the tree came crashing down and injured her severely. Her left arm got crushed and she suffered multiple fractures. Doctors at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) had to amputate the limb.
“The injury was so severe that doctors had amputated her arm on the same day of the incident. For the next 24 hours, Ishita gained consciousness, but was unaware about the loss of her limb. However, when a team of doctors disclosed this to her, she was inconsolable,” said Preetika Sharma, Ishita’s mother.
Recollecting her daughter’s first words after being told of the amputation, she said, “I was holding my left forearm with my right hand and I was in so much pain that I could sense that my arm was not working properly. But I never imagined I would lose my arm. I did nothing wrong then why did God punish me in this manner.”
Ishita, a resident of Manimajra, underwent a second surgery on Monday for the procedure of stump closure. “She has been given anaesthesia, but is bravely fighting the situation. We thank God that she is with us today. Our only focus is to take her home as soon as she recovers”, her mother said.
Fellow 15-year-old, Sana is still traumatised after losing her friend Heerakshi in the incident. Having suffered multiple injuries, Heerakshi, a Class 10 student, lost her life on the day of the incident.
“Sana was Heerakshi’s friend and was eating lunch with her. She got injuries on forehead and was rushed to GMSH-16 for treatment. She was shocked when she got to know about her friend’s death. She is still traumatised and starts crying when alone. She simply cannot be left alone,” her father Mohammad Shakir said.
Students also visit the premises to offer flowers and pay their respects to their deceased friend at the Gate No. 2, near which the accident took place.
Sleepless nights
While thirteen-year-old Kriti sustained only minor injuries in the accident, she too has had sleepless nights reliving the horror of the incident. Atul Aggarwal, the Class 8 student’s father, said, “My daughter got minor injuries but her left arm is still swollen. She, however, is in trauma and facing difficulty in sleeping as she starts recalling the horror. We are with her and will support her in coping up.”
Besides Kriti, 14-year-old Geetanjali is also facing similar issues. “Her hip muscle got torn in the incident but she is recovering well now. When not on medicines, she has to face the pain,” her mother said.
“Prisha, 15, was admitted at GMSH-16 after she suffered a hip fracture. It will take around a month of bed rest for her to recover from the injuries. Though she keeps talking about the incident, our family makes sure that she takes proper diet and sleep for her recovery,” her father Ajay Khurana said.
Meanwhile, the bus attendant, Sheela, 40, a resident of Kishangarh village, who suffered severe head injuries in the incident, had slipped into a coma the same day. She is still battling for her life at PGIMER and is on ventilator support.
Another student, Sejal, 16, underwent surgery for a spine fracture on Sunday and is still admitted and recovering.
CCPCR seeks reports on safety aspects of school buildings
Chandigarh Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) has asked various departments of the UT administration to submit information regarding a checklist prepared by the commission for conducting a safety audit in schools.
Following the directions by the UT social welfare secretary, the department had called a meeting on Monday with various departments including education, engineering, health and forest departments, municipal corporation, police, social welfare and district child protection unit to take steps to ensure the safety and security of children.
The checklist has been prepared to take stock of the ground reality at each institution, along with the implementation of prescribed guidelines issued by the administration. Things to check include structural safety of the building, electrical safety, fire and lab safety among other things.
“The focus is to have a comprehensive model of safety for school children on the two basic and major concepts of safety i.e. prevention of mishappening and mitigation of the incident. For this, all schools must have a periodic safety audit,” CCPCR chairperson Harjinder Kaur said.
The various departments have been directed to submit their report on the checklist before the next meeting which will be held on Thursday.
Instructions have also been passed to the departments concerned to nominate a nodal officer to meet out the grievances immediately under intimation to the commission.
