Girl student dies of electric shock at school

SHAKARGARH:

An eight-year-old girl died after allegedly suffering an electric shock from a water cooler at a private school in the Langah Bhattian area of Shakargarh, police said on Tuesday.

Following the incident at Shaheen Public School, police registered a case against the school principal and owner, while the school owner was taken into custody.

According to police and education department officials, the child, identified as Umaima, had gone to drink water from an electric water cooler installed on the school premises when she reportedly received a severe electric shock.

Initial investigations suggested that faulty wiring and lack of safety measures in the electrical system may have caused the incident. Despite efforts to provide immediate medical assistance, the girl could not survive.

Police from Noor Kot station reached the scene soon after receiving information, collected evidence, and shifted the body to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for legal formalities.

The FIR was registered on the complaint of Assistant Education Officer Muhammad Asghar Khan. According to the FIR, defective electrical wiring, negligence in safety arrangements, and unsafe installation of electrical equipment were among the main causes of the incident.

School principal Muhammad Afzal Khan and school owner Shahid Javed were nominated in the case.

SHO Noor Kot Hafiz Asim said preliminary investigations revealed that the water cooler or water filtration system had not been installed in a safe manner, resulting in electric leakage that led to the child's death.

District Police Officer Naveed Ahmed said all aspects of the incident were being thoroughly investigated and strict legal action would be taken against those responsible.