15-year-old electrocuted in school

A 15-year-old girl student was allegedly electrocuted when she stepped on a puddle of water at her school compound in northeast Delhi’s Dilshad Garden area on Friday morning, police said. HT reports.

A 15-year-old girl student was allegedly electrocuted when she stepped on a puddle of water at her school compound in northeast Delhi’s Dilshad Garden area on Friday morning, police said.

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Police officers investigating the case said Priya Mishra, a Class IX student of Eak Nath Rajakiya Kanya Sarvodaya Vidyalaya — a government school, had stepped on a live wire submerged in water.

"Prima facie investigations revealed the victim got electrocuted when she stepped in a puddle of water in the school compound and touched a live wire from an adjacent pole," said a senior police officer.

The officer said the Delhi State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, (DSIIDC) is undertaking construction work close to the spot where the accident happened.

"An electric wire used in the construction work had fallen to the ground after Thursday’s heavy rain," said the officer.

"We had to use electric sticks to remove the wire that had stuck to her legs. It took us two minutes," said Shambhu Kumar, a cleaner at the school.

Priya’s family members and neighbours stormed the school and attempted to rough up the vice-principal and staff.

"If this isn’t the result of the school’s negligence then what is? If the administration was aware of the wire, why didn’t they do anything? The wire is still lying in the puddle," said Sunita Devi, Priya’s aunt.

The police said a case of causing death due to negligence was registered against DSIIDC.

Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said the department has suspended the vice- principal for negligence. "We have asked the additional director to conduct an inquiry. The girl’s family will get a compensation of R 1 lakh," Lovely said.

Lovely said since the school was being renovated by DSIIDC, the education department was also writing to the agency to initiate action against its engineers.