Dilapidated condition: 20 children injured in classroom roof collapse
Headmistress says rainwater had stood on the roof for nearly a month.
Rescue workers clear out debris from the school. PHOTO: EXPRESS
DERA GHAZI KHAN:
As many as 20 students were injured when the roof of a primary school collapsed in Dera Ghazi Khan on Wednesday.
Rescue 1122 officials said grade one students at Shakoorabad Government Girls Primary School were returning to the classroom after a lunch break when the roof of the classroom caved in at around 12.50pm. They said 20 of the students were caught under the rubble. They said most students were allowed to go home after they were given first aid. Rescue 1122 took out five-year-old Sikandar, seven-year-old Javeria Sharif, seven-year-old Sania Bashir, eight-year-old Rehan and seven-year-old Bakhtawar to a hospital where doctors said their condition was stable. Doctors said three other children were being treated.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Headmistress Khadija Mubarak said rain water had stood on the roof of the school for over a month. She said parts of the building had been damaged and a report on the need for repairs had been sent to the Education Department. She said 87 students were enrolled at the school. She said there were six teachers at the campus.
Talking to The Express Tribune outside the school campus, Sajid Akram, one of the parent, said, “What kind of education-friendly policy is this?”
He said the government had said it was prioritising education but the state of school buildings did not seem to support that claim.
“Schools were closed for nearly a month in January because they said they were upgrading school buildings.”
He said the government had constructed eight-feet high security walls around dilapidated buildings.
“What is the point of protecting our children from terrorism if school roofs are collapsing on them,” he said. He said the government had released funds to upgrade school buildings but they had been spent on schools in posh areas.
“Schools in poorer areas are still in a bad condition,” he said.
DCO Nadeemur Rehman and MPA Aleem Shah reached the site and supervised rescue efforts.
Rehman said he had formed a committee to investigate the incident. He said the committee would submit its report in 24 hours. When asked about the state of school buildings in the district, the DCO declined comment. He said Rs25,000 assistance would be paid to families of students injured in the incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 23rd, 2015.
As many as 20 students were injured when the roof of a primary school collapsed in Dera Ghazi Khan on Wednesday.
Rescue 1122 officials said grade one students at Shakoorabad Government Girls Primary School were returning to the classroom after a lunch break when the roof of the classroom caved in at around 12.50pm. They said 20 of the students were caught under the rubble. They said most students were allowed to go home after they were given first aid. Rescue 1122 took out five-year-old Sikandar, seven-year-old Javeria Sharif, seven-year-old Sania Bashir, eight-year-old Rehan and seven-year-old Bakhtawar to a hospital where doctors said their condition was stable. Doctors said three other children were being treated.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Headmistress Khadija Mubarak said rain water had stood on the roof of the school for over a month. She said parts of the building had been damaged and a report on the need for repairs had been sent to the Education Department. She said 87 students were enrolled at the school. She said there were six teachers at the campus.
Talking to The Express Tribune outside the school campus, Sajid Akram, one of the parent, said, “What kind of education-friendly policy is this?”
He said the government had said it was prioritising education but the state of school buildings did not seem to support that claim.
“Schools were closed for nearly a month in January because they said they were upgrading school buildings.”
He said the government had constructed eight-feet high security walls around dilapidated buildings.
“What is the point of protecting our children from terrorism if school roofs are collapsing on them,” he said. He said the government had released funds to upgrade school buildings but they had been spent on schools in posh areas.
“Schools in poorer areas are still in a bad condition,” he said.
DCO Nadeemur Rehman and MPA Aleem Shah reached the site and supervised rescue efforts.
Rehman said he had formed a committee to investigate the incident. He said the committee would submit its report in 24 hours. When asked about the state of school buildings in the district, the DCO declined comment. He said Rs25,000 assistance would be paid to families of students injured in the incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 23rd, 2015.