31 May,2025 05:04 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
Representation Pic/File.
The director of a school in Thane district of Maharashtra was arrested on Saturday after an 11-year-old boy was killed in a wall collapse, an official said, the PTI reported on Saturday.
According to an official from Titwala police station, "The retaining wall of the school had become dangerous, and residents had repeatedly warned the school about it. Despite being made aware of the risks, the school director failed to take any preventive action."
In the tragic incident, a child had lost his life and two children had suffered severe injuries when a school's boundary collapsed on Friday evening. The incident took place at the Balyani slum area in Thane district, which falls under the jurisdiction of Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC). The children were playing adjacent to the KBK International School when the wall of the building suddenly collapsed. A child was crushed after the debris fell on him, an official said, reported PTI.
"When the children were playing in the adjacent lane, the boundary wall of the school collapsed," said Yasin Tadvi, chief of the Disaster Management Cell of Thane Municipal Corporation.
The school was constructed eight years ago.
The official said, "The wall was unauthorised and structurally unsound. It had visible cracks and lacked a proper cement plaster finish."
Following the incident, local residents rushed to the scenes to rescue the children and moved them to the nearest hospital. One of the injured children was later shifted to Rukmini Bai Hospital in Kalyan for further treatment.
In this incident Ansh Kumar Singh lost his life while Abishek Sahani (10) and Soeb Shaikh (6) are currently under medical treatment.
The school director was later booked for causing death by negligence and endangering human lives, the official said.
A civic official said, "Civic authorities subsequently demolished the remaining part of the damaged wall."
According to civic officials, a structure of building was allegedly unauthorised.
Assistant Police Inspector Mudgan of Kalyan Taluka Police Station mentioned that locals had complained about the poor condition of the compound wall but no preventive measures were taken from the school authorities. This investigation was followed after an FIR was registered against the school administration.
(With inputs from PTI)
