Staff Reporter
NAHARLAGUN, 14 Dec: Three students of St Alphonsa School in Model Village here were killed and two others were injured when an overhead water tank collapsed and fell on them near the school’s assembly shed on Saturday. The incident took place at around 9 am.
The deceased have been identified as Ekam Bagang, Rei Dol, and Marsu Dubi – all Class 9 students.
Licha Buttum of Class 6 sustained critical injuries to his legs and underwent an emergency surgery at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (THIHMS) here.
Toko Dolum of Class 8, who sustained head injuries, is also currently admitted in the paediatric ward of the TRIHMS, SP Mihim Gambo informed.
The SP further informed that a case [u/s105/106(1)/125(b)/3(5) BNS] has been registered at the Naharlagun police station.
Six persons were detained in the case, and five of them were later arrested. The arrestees are the school’s principal Shaji Cherian (51), hostel wardens Gaurav Gogoi (24) and Dicky Kumar Das (24),teacher Kaushik Chetry (22), and the owner of the school Kapa Rai, the SP informed.
A lady warden, who had been detained for interrogation, was released her statement was recorded, he said.
The students were playing in the assembly premises when the tank collapsed, injuring six students, Gambo said. The tank was near the assembly hall.
“All the injured were rushed to the TRIHMS, where three were declared dead,” the SP said.
“Preliminary investigations suggest that the water tank may have exceeded its capacity. However, we are probing the matter further to determine the exact cause,” he added.
Gambo appealed to the public to remain calm and maintain peace as the police are conducting a thorough and impartial investigation to ensure that justice is delivered to the victims and their families.
“The children were at the school to write their exams today, but now that my child’s both legs are severely injured and he has to undergo a surgery today itself, it won’t be possible for him to complete his studies this year,” said the mother of Licha Buttum, Licha Mina.
“The overhead water tank had been placed in the wrong location. It is the place where students play and stand for the assembly,” she said.
The father of Toko Dolum (who has sustained head injuries) said, “I was in the village when my wife informed me about the incident.”
Dolum’s father blamed the school authority for the incident. “It was sheer negligence. Dolum has been studying there since he was in Class 1, and the school has not been functioning properly for the last two years,” he said.
The parents offered condolences to the parents who lost their children in the incident.