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A 14-year-old Class 10 student was killed and another student was seriously injured after a school compound wall collapsed during lunch break at a Zilla Parishad High School in Salur town of Andhra Pradesh’s Parvathipuram Manyam district on Monday, August 17, raising questions over the safety and maintenance of government school infrastructure.
The deceased student was identified as Thupakula Arun Teja, a resident of Relli Street in Salur. The injured student, Sondi Yacob, is a Class 9 student and also lives in the same locality.
The students were reportedly resting near the school’s compound wall during the lunch break when the structure suddenly collapsed on them. School staff rushed to the spot after being alerted and pulled the students from the debris. Arun Teja, however, died at the spot. Yacob was taken to a government hospital in Salur, where he is undergoing treatment.
The incident has raised concerns over how a potentially dangerous structure was allowed to remain standing on school premises, particularly in an area where students regularly gather during breaks.
Andhra Pradesh Minister for Women and Child Welfare and Tribal Welfare MLA Gummidi Sandhya Rani expressed shock over the incident.
Human Resource Development Minister Nara Lokesh said the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led state government would conduct a probe into the circumstances surrounding the collapse. He announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for Arun Teja’s family and directed officials to ensure better treatment for the injured student.
“I am deeply shocked by the death of tenth-grade student Arun Tej from the Government High School in Salur, Parvathipuram Manyam district, due to the collapse of the school boundary wall. The death of a student with a golden future has shaken me. I have issued orders to provide immediate better medical treatment to another injured student. We will support Arun Tej's family. We will take strict action against those responsible,” Lokesh said.
Arun Teja’s parents and relatives however staged a protest at the school premises, demanding higher compensation and action against those responsible for the tragedy.