A tragic incident in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur-Ramanujganj district has claimed the life of a 12-year-old student and sparked outrage over construction safety standards within school premises. The fatal accident occurred on Thursday when the slab of an unfinished anganwadi building collapsed on the child.
Details of the Tragic Incident
The victim has been identified as Alok Kumar Dewangan, a Class 6 student and son of daily-wage labourer Ramesh Dewangan. The tragedy unfolded on the premises of Middle School Khuthanpara, located in Shardapur village within the Wadrafnagar block.
According to initial reports, the accident happened during the mid-day meal break. After having lunch, students were playing in the school campus when some of them wandered near the under-construction anganwadi centre building. Alok followed his classmates towards the site.
The boy stepped under the protruding slab, or 'chhajja', of the incomplete structure to urinate when the heavy concrete slab suddenly gave way and crashed down. The debris buried the child, leaving him with critical injuries.
Rescue Efforts and Aftermath
Hearing the loud sound of the collapse and the boy's cries, teachers and other students rushed to the spot. Teacher Pooja Gupta stated that students ran to inform the staff immediately after the slab fell.
"All teachers rushed to the spot. With villagers' help, the debris was removed and the child was taken to hospital, but by then it was too late," she recounted. Despite being rushed to a nearby medical facility, Alok was declared dead upon arrival.
The news plunged Shardapur village into profound grief. Alok's parents were left inconsolable as relatives and neighbours gathered at the hospital in a state of shock and mourning.
Official Response and Safety Lapses
The incident triggered immediate administrative action and raised serious questions about safety protocols. The Surguja education department suspended the school headmaster, Mamta Gupta, for negligence towards children's safety at the school.
Local authorities confirmed that the gram panchayat is the construction agency responsible for the anganwadi building. Angry locals pointed out glaring safety lapses: there was no barricading, warning signage, or restriction on children's movement around the active construction zone, despite it being located inside a functioning school campus.
Wadrafnagar police reached the hospital soon after being informed. Balrampur Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Banker stated that the case is being thoroughly probed. He assured that if any negligence is found at any level during the investigation, strict legal action will be taken against those responsible.
This heartbreaking event has cast a spotlight on the urgent need for stringent enforcement of construction safety norms, especially in areas frequented by children, to prevent such preventable tragedies in the future.
