Chennai: Close shave for students as roof of new school building collapses

Chennai: Twenty-three students escaped when the roof of a new building of the government school collapsed near Urapakkam on Friday.

The incident happened at around 1.05 pm when students went for lunch. According to local police, the high school located off GST Road in Karani Pudhucherry was built two years ago.

According to onlookers, a loud noise was heard from a classroom on the first floor of the building, where 23 class 8 students sit. “As the teachers do not allow students to have their lunch inside the classrooms, students were eating on the ground. If the incident had happened before or after lunch, implications would have been serious,” said a parent.

The police sources said that the building was constructed two years ago and is relatively new. Meanwhile, rumours of death of students spread and many parents frantically thronged at the school.

Many parents argued with teachers and police personnel and threatened to protest. However, the education department official who rushed from Kanchipuram assured actions against errant officials.

Although the classes continued after 2 pm, class 8 students were made to sit under a tree. Meanwhile, Kanchipuram district chief education officer R. Thiruvalar Selvi said that the public works department had constructed the building and information about the mishap have been given to them. “The PWD officials will inspect the building and take appropriate action,” she added.