Student dies in Karachi school after falling down stairs

School owner says she was in good health when she arrived, had trouble breathing due to mask

KARACHI:

A ninth-grade student from a private school in Karachi's Gulberg died on Tuesday after falling down a flight of stairs.

On the first day back after a six-month-long break due to the novel coronavirus, ninth grade student Areeba fell headfirst from the third step of the stairs.

School owner Asif Khan said after Areeba's fall, she was immediately rushed to the hospital, where she passed away.

He added Areeba was in good health when she arrived at school and her temperature was normal. However, she was having difficulty in breathing due to the face mask which has been made mandatory by the federal government to contain the spread of the virus.

Educational institutions reopened across the country today, ending a six-month-long break due to the emergence of the novel coronavirus in Pakistan.

The Ministry of Education announced that in the first phase of reopening, all higher education institutions - from class IX to XII and above - will resume classes from today. In the second phase, secondary schools will reopen and in the third phase, primary schools will resume.

According to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government, masks are mandatory for all students and teachers, while the administration must ensure the availability of sanitizers at the gate.