The mishap occurred while hundreds of students were dancing on the college grounds as part of pre-Dasara celebrations. According to preliminary reports, the heavy metallic lighting structure mounted above the dance area gave way without warning, crashing down on the gathering and triggering a sudden blaze. The sudden impact and subsequent fire triggered widespread panic and a chaotic rush across the venue
HYDERABAD: One student was confirmed dead and another was feared to have succumbed to her injuries when a heavy truss holding lights fell on them during a Dandiya night event organised by the Maturi Venkata Subba Rao (MVSR) Engineering College on its campus at Nadergul on Saturday night. More than 15 others were injured, and four of them were in a serious condition.
The victim was identified as 19-year-old Sona, also identifed as Soni, a resident of Wanaparthy and a second-year engineering student. Another girl student is suspected to have succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at another hospital, but this was not officially confirmed. Sona’s sister was stated among the injured. The injured were taken to two hospitals, one in LB Nagar and another in Nadergul.
A video of the event showed the aluminium truss used to suspend lights and loudspeaker boxes crashed to the ground during the event while students were dancing.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy conveyed his condolences to the student's family, and urged that the best possible medical care be provided to the injured students. He ordered authorities to identify those responsible for the accident, and ensure strict action against them.
A report said more than 600 people were at the ground when the truss fell. Shamshabad zone DCP B. Rajesh said the 22-foot-tall truss collapsed under a high wind. Those underneath the structure had no chance of escaping. Once the truss fell, staff and other students lifted it up and took the students to hospitals in their personal vehicles.
“There was a huge sound after the lighting system collapsed, said a student, Vivek. He said he and his friend Jitin had gone to the washroom when the incident occurred. “We alerted the college management,” he said. The local police rushed to the scene. Disaster response teams along with the students managed to rescue those trapped under the truss and rushed them to a hospital, according to Srinivas, another student.
Adibatla station house officer M. Ramesh, the investigation officer, said a case of death due to negligence had been registered against the organisers and also those who had set up the lighting system.
The event, organised under the “Shourya 2026” banner by the MVSR Engineering College management, was a ticketed event open only to the students of the college. Sources said the event was the first dandiya dance organised by the college and was to end at 7.30 pm according to the college notification of the event. It had also organised buses for students to return at 7.45 pm.
Contacted by this reporter, college principal Dr M. Kameshwar Rao said in a message that he was at the cremation of his brother who had passed away. He gave a contact number for details but there was no response on that number.
Heartbreaking scenes outside Kamineni Hospital as the devastated family and supporters of Sona Narayan Das protest, raising slogans of "We Want Justice"! The student lost her life in the horrific lighting structure collapse at MVSR College's Dandiya night. The grief-stricken parents demand immediate arrests and strict punishment for event negligence
