Jammu, Jul 21: A student was killed and five people were injured when a landslide triggered by heavy overnight rain hit a government school in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, officials said.
Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the loss of the life of the young student.
A large boulder rolled down onto the tin roof of the primary school in the Bhainch-Kalsian area and fell in a classroom, injuring several students. A student, Ehsan Ali (5), died, the officials said.
They said four students — Mohammad Safeer (7), Bilal Farooq (8), Aftab Ahmad (7) and Tobia Kausar (7) — and a teacher were injured in the incident and are undergoing treatment at Raja Sukhdev Singh District Hospital in Poonch. The teacher suffered minor injuries.
In a post on X, LG Sinha condoled the student’s death.
“The news of the death of a 5-year-old child due to the rockslide that crashed into Primary School, Kalsian, Poonch is heart-rending. May God give strength to the bereaved parents to bear this shock. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured children,” he said.
Chief Minister Abdullah, in a post on X, extended his condolences to the bereaved family and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
He said he has directed the administration to ensure proper treatment of the injured and to conduct a thorough inquiry into the incident.
Immediately after receiving information about the incident, Poonch Deputy Commissioner Vikas Kundal visited the district hospital and met the injured and their families, the officials said.
He directed the medical team to provide the best possible treatment to the children.
As immediate relief, Kundal disbursed financial assistance under the Red Cross Fund, providing Rs 1 lakh to the family of Ehsan Ali and Rs 50,000 each to the families of the injured children, according to the officials.
He also assured the children’s families of all possible assistance from the district administration.
Tragedy Strikes Govt School in Poonch as Rockfall Claims Students’ Life, Injures Others
