A glass panel fell at Nava Nalanda school in south Kolkata on Monday, injuring students and sparking protests from parents alleging negligence.
According to TV channels that reached the spot first, three students were hurt, with two from Class IX requiring hospitalisation. The school claimed only two students were injured, one discharged after first aid, while the other remains under medical care.
The incident took place around 7am as students were entering the school premises on Southern Avenue just before morning prayers.
A glass panel from the upper part of the building shattered and fell onto the students below. Parents of the students present at the scene started a protest, demanding accountability from the school administration and raising questions about the building's maintenance.
“The incident which took place is very unfortunate; the [school] authority is taking steps and the students who have been injured, their treatment is going on in a nearby hospital,” Gouri Das, a teacher at the school, told The Telegraph Online.
“We as teachers are taking care of students as much as possible. At this time we need the support and cooperation of guardians as much as possible as this is also very unexpected for us. An accident is an accident. The school authorities are also very worried and they are still in the hospital to look after children who have been injured. We are in school looking after students and taking care of them.”
In a video, parents can be heard saying principal ke bol dekha korte [tell the principal to meet us].
The school administration said in its media statement that the building was newly constructed and rejected allegations of poor maintenance. They also claimed the glass broke due to students forcefully trying to open a window.
The school later confirmed that the principal had visited the hospital to check on the injured students.
The protest by parents, demanding better safety measures and accountability from the school, is still on at the time of writing this report.