Daijiworld Media Network - Kadaba

Kadaba, Aug 28: A major disaster was narrowly avoided on Tuesday when a portion of the Kunturu Government Higher Primary School building in Perabe village, Kadaba taluk, collapsed, injuring four students. The incident occurred when a section of the building caved in, but fortunately, most of the students were not present in the affected area at the time.

The injured students, all from the seventh grade, were identified as Rashmi, Deeksha, Fathima Suhana, and Yashitha. In response to the incident, zilla panchayat engineer Sangappa Hukkeri and the school's headmaster, Ramesh, have been suspended by the district authorities on the orders of Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner Mulai Muhilan.

The collapse occurred while a trench was being dug using an excavator for the construction of a retaining wall behind the school building. The digging caused structural damage, leading to the building, including its roof, to collapse.

Two students were trapped inside the building but were quickly rescued by locals. The injured students were rushed to a hospital in Puttur for treatment. The assistant commissioner of Puttur, Jubin Mohapatra, and Kadaba tahsildar Prabhakar Khajure, along with other officials, visited the site to assess the situation.

The school, which is 75 years old, was undergoing construction as part of a Rs. 1.5 lac flood damage project. The work began on Tuesday with the excavation for the retaining wall behind the classrooms used by the fifth and seventh grades. The collapsed building was approximately 50 years old and lacked a proper foundation, which likely contributed to the collapse.

Despite being aware of the building's dilapidated condition, construction work was hastily initiated, which has drawn criticism from locals and parents.

Upon learning of the incident, local residents, parents, and local representatives expressed their anger. They blamed the authorities for proceeding with the construction despite the known risks, leading to the tragic incident. There was widespread demand for the suspension of the responsible officials.

At the time of the collapse, most students were outside the building, but four students remained inside to drink water and curiously observe the excavator work when the structure gave way. Had all 177 students been in their classrooms, the outcome could have been catastrophic.