Child rights panel registers case over alleged negligence at state school games in Thrissur
A venue roof collapse during Kerala State School Games swimming competitions injured five athletes. Officials are investigating alleged negligence by organisers, with the Sports Council and Education Department trading blame.
A venue roof collapse during Kerala State School Games swimming competitions injured five athletes. Officials are investigating alleged negligence by organisers, with the Sports Council and Education Department trading blame.
A venue roof collapse during Kerala State School Games swimming competitions injured five athletes. Officials are investigating alleged negligence by organisers, with the Sports Council and Education Department trading blame.
Thrissur: The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has registered a suo motu case following reports that students and parents were injured after the roof of a venue collapsed during the swimming competitions held as part of the State School Games at the Thrissur Aquatic Complex on Thursday.
The Commission said several media reports had highlighted the difficulties faced by students during the sports meet and alleged serious negligence on the part of the organisers. It also observed that teachers responsible for the event had shown an irresponsible approach. The Commission has sought explanations from the Director of General Education, Thrissur District Police Chief, Deputy Director of Education, Thrissur, and District Child Protection Officer.
Meanwhile, General Education Minister N Shamsudheen has directed the Director of General Education to conduct a detailed inquiry into the roof collapse and submit a report.
The incident occurred on Thursday when sudden rain and strong winds dislodged a section of the overhead tin roofing, causing it to fall onto the crowd and injuring five athletes. The injured students were identified as Sreehari, Rishikesh, Devika, Priya and Abhinav. Parents of athletes who had travelled from across Kerala raised concerns over alleged lapses in the conduct of the event and demanded reimbursement of their travel and accommodation expenses.
The Kerala State Sports Council and the General Education Department have traded blame over the incident. The Sports Council has alleged serious lapses, including failure to seek permission for installing temporary tin sheets and failure to stop the event after the first lightning strike. According to the council, its safety officers had asked organisers to stop the swimming relay event, but the event continued, and the sheets fell about an hour later, injuring the students. The General Education Department, however, maintained that the organisers acted promptly when the weather conditions deteriorated.