August 24, 2023
Introduction
A Government Senior Secondary School in Ludhiana’s Baddowal village witnessed a devastating incident. On Wednesday the roof of its staff room collapsed. This resulted in the death of one teacher and injuring three others. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of older school structures and the need for rigorous inspections.
The victims of this unfortunate incident have been identified as Ravinder Kaur and Narenderpal Kaur. As both English teachers were in the staff room when the roof collapsed. Two other teachers were also injured and were promptly rushed to the hospital for medical attention.
Among the victims, Ravinder Kaur, a resident of BRS Nagar’s Housing Board Colony, was tragically declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Thankfully, several students who were present on the school premises at the time of the incident. All of them were safely rescued, averting a potential disaster involving young lives.
Ludhiana’s Deputy Commissioner, Surabhi Malik, took immediate action by ordering a thorough magisterial inquiry into the incident. Speaking to the press, Malik expressed the importance of investigating the matter comprehensively to determine the cause and prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
“We will form a proper team to look into the incident to find out why this happened and how it happened. We will submit a report to the government,” she affirmed.
Construction dated back to 1960s
Investigations conducted by Hindustan Times. These revealed that the school’s construction dates back to 1960, raising concerns about the structural integrity of such older buildings.
Repair work was reportedly underway on the second floor. And it was during this process that a cement slab fell onto the first floor, triggering the catastrophic collapse of the staff room’s roof.
Manpreet Singh Ayali, SAD MLA from Dakha, stressed the need for a thorough investigation into such buildings to prevent future calamities. “All old buildings and schools should be checked by the government. An investigation should be done and strict rules should be made so it doesn’t happen again,” Ayali emphasized.
Responding to the incident, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and police units swiftly arrived at the scene. Efforts were made to disperse the crowd that had gathered around the school. All this while authorities began their work to assess the situation and ensure the safety of the remaining school structures.
Conclusion
As Ludhiana grapples with this heart-wrenching tragedy. The incident underscores the significance of regular safety inspections, especially in older school buildings, to prevent such unfortunate accidents from occurring in the future.
The authorities’ prompt response and investigation are crucial steps toward securing the safety of students, teachers, and staff across educational institutions.
