School gate collapse leaves Class 3 girl seriously injured in Bagalkot

Bagalkot: A Class III girl sustained serious injuries while four other students and a school attendant escaped with minor injuries after the main entrance gate of a government school collapsed on them at Balakundi village in Ilkal taluk of Bagalkot district on Monday.The incident occurred in the morning when the attendant arrived at the Govt Model Higher Primary School to open the main gate before classes began. As she unlocked it, the gate reportedly came off its hinges and crashed onto her and a group of students waiting nearby. Her presence is believed to have averted a bigger tragedy, as the gate first fell on her before striking the children.The injured student, identified as Sunema, a native of Rajasthan and a Class III pupil, suffered severe injuries to her nose and also experienced bleeding from the ear.

She was admitted to a private hospital in Bagalkot and is undergoing treatment. The other injured students sustained minor injuries.The school has an enrolment of more than 220 students from LKG to Class VII.Villagers alleged that the entrance arch and gate were constructed only three years ago, but the structure had collapsed three times earlier. They claimed a similar incident occurred about 15 days ago, narrowly avoiding an accident, and accused authorities of ignoring repeated requests to repair or replace the damaged gate.

Residents further alleged that the structure was poorly constructed and demanded a thorough inquiry into the quality of work. They also called for immediate measures to ensure the safety of students and staff. Authorities are expected to investigate the incident.