Ghaziabad: Committee to probe ceiling collapse in govt school

The incident was reported at Dayawati Modi Kanya Junior High School in Abupur. At the time of the incident, 19 students of class 3 were in the room when a portion of the ceiling fell. Officials said that the school is in a dilapidated condition, as it was established in 1965 and need repairs.

The district magistrate on Saturday constituted a committee of officials to inquire into the collapse of a portion of the classroom ceiling, on Friday afternoon, at a government-aided girls’ school in Niwari that left a minor injured.

District magistrate (DM) Ministhy S said that a team of officials will investigate two aspects pertaining to the incident.

The incident was reported at Dayawati Modi Kanya Junior High School in Abupur. At the time of the incident, 19 students of class 3 were in the room when a portion of the ceiling fell. Officials said that the school is in a dilapidated condition, as it was established in 1965 and need repairs.

District magistrate (DM) Ministhy S said that a team of officials will investigate two aspects pertaining to the incident. “The committee will first fix the responsibility and find out how the incident took place. The second would be for immediate repairs so that children can continue their studies without interruption. Officials will also check safety standards, funding to the school, responsibility for repairs and related aspects. A detailed analysis of the incident will be made,” the DM said.

“Officials will also visit the house of the injured girl and will ensure that proper medical treatment is being given to her,” she said.

Officials said that Aaira sustained head injuries and was rushed to a hospital. Upon receiving the information, the administration officials rushed to the spot but the school was shut and no staff could be found, officials said.

“The school management said that it didn’t have funds to repair the school building, which is old. The committee constituted by the DM comprises the PWD engineer, basic education officer, district panchayati raj officer, among others. A major incident was averted as the majority of the students were sitting on the other side and escaped any injury. According to our estimates, the debris weighed 15-20kg and could have severely injured students,” said Umakant Tiwari, tehsildar, Modi Nagar.

“The school gets aid from the state government. The inquiry will be conducted at the earliest, as soon as the school is opened. The responsibility for repairs and maintenance rests with the school management. Prima facie, the school has no water outlets that also causes damage to the building. The plaster is also in a bad condition. Our report will highlight all such issues,” Tiwari said.

The school has 200 students in total, in classes 1-8.