Schoolchildren’s death: Himachal to conduct surveys

SHIMLA - A day after four students were buried alive after a boundary wall of their school collapsed in Himachal Pradesh’s Una district, Education Minister I.D. Dhiman Tuesday ordered a survey of all schools in the state to check unsafe buildings.

“Dhiman directed the education department to conduct a survey of the school buildings to avert any mishap in future in educational institutions,” an official told IANS here.

He said the step was taken to ensure the safety of students in the schools.

Four schoolchildren were killed and one was critically injured when the boundary wall of the Government Primary School at Chhatarpur Dhada, some 15 km from Una, collapsed Monday.

The accident took place when the students, belonging to economically weaker sections, were playing during the recess. They belonged to the age group of seven to 11.

Dhiman directed the department to dismantle all school buildings or boundary walls that were unsafe. He said necessary funds would be provided to construct new buildings.

Himachal Pradesh has over 15,000 primary and higher secondary government schools with a strength of around 10 lakh students.