On Tuesday, four students were injured when the roof of a classroom at a primary school in Kadaba taluka, Dakshina Kannada district, collapsed, officials reported.
The incident took place at the government primary school in Kunthur, but fortunately, most of the school’s 160 students were outside playing at the time, which prevented a more serious tragedy. Puttur block education officer SR Lokesh noted that the collapse occurred around 2:30 PM when the children were outside.
The collapse happened while a JCB excavator was removing soil for a new foundation next to the existing one. According to Lokesh, the situation was exacerbated by the wet soil from recent rains, leading to the sudden collapse of two classroom walls and the roof. “Fortunately, the children were outside, and only four sustained minor injuries,” he said.
Lokesh criticized the engineers for proceeding with the work during the rainy season without proper precautions and issued a notice to the headmaster seeking an explanation.
The injured students were promptly taken to Puttur Taluk Government Hospital, where they are receiving treatment and are reported to be in stable condition. The incident prompted concerned parents to visit the school and demand accountability.
In response, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Mullai Mugilan ordered the suspension of the school’s headmaster, K Ramesh, and the Panchayat Raj engineer responsible for the school’s maintenance. This action was taken amid allegations of mismanagement of disaster relief funds meant for school repairs and insufficient safety measures.
“This is a serious issue. The safety of our children is paramount, and any negligence will be addressed rigorously,” Mugilan told reporters.
