A student was killed and 19 others sustained injuries after a 70 feet tall 250- year- old Peepal tree, a kind of heritage tree, fell on them inside a private school campus, in Sector -9, Chandigarh on Friday.
The incident was reported at around 11:10 am when the students of this girls’ school, who were in the age group of 13-17 years, had gathered near the tree during lunch break. A total of 19 students and a woman attendant aged 40 years, were reported injured. A student (16) was rushed to the PGI, where she was declared brought dead, said the official.
According to the eyewitnesses, there was panic in the school complex after the incident. The medical teams and police rushed to the spot. A team of doctors from Fortis Hospital, Mohali, was also called. While a few students were given first aid at the school the others were rushed to rushed the Government Multi-speciality Hospital in Sector 16, and PGIMER, Chandigarh, while some were taken to Fortis hospital in Mohali. Around 18 students and a staff attendant were injured in the incident. The condition of a student and a lady attendant is also said to be critical.
According to UT officials, the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector-16, Chandigarh received a Disaster Call following an Incident in which a tree fell on school children at Carmel Convent School, Sector- 9. Ambulances along with the team of doctors and paramedics were rushed to the School. Twelve School Children and one bus attendant were brought to the Hospital from the School between 11.20 AM to 11.55 AM. All of them were immediately attended by the team of doctors including specialists from the departments Orthopedics, Medicine, Surgery and Pediatrics. Two students showed fracture on their X-rays reports and on request of the parents, one of them was referred to PGIMER, Chandigarh for further management. The remaining 9 students in the GMSH-16 were stable and tests including X-Rays and CT-Scans were done.
Soon after the incident, the local Police and fire department officials along with SSP Kuldeep Singh Chahal reached the spot. On getting information about the incident, the families of many children reached the school. However, they initially were stopped outside the gate. After their insistence, later, they were given permission to enter the school. The UT administration has deployed additional police force outside the school to maintain law and order.
Nitin Kumar Yadav, Home Secretary, Chandigarh, Vinay Pratap Singh Deputy Commissioner, Debendra Dalai, Chief Conservator of Forest and Yashpal Garg, Secretary, Health, of Chandigarh Administration visited the school, GMSH-16 and the PGI.
Chandigarh DC Vinay Pratap Singh, who reached the school to take stock of the situation after the incident told ‘The Pioneer’: “Around 18 students and a staff attendant were injured in the incident. They were admitted in Government Hospital Sector 16 and PGIMER. We have confirmation of a child’s death in the incident.”
Parents express anguish over this incident
One of the parents, Samita said that her daughter also studies in the same school in class XI and the accident happened in front of her eyes. Seeing their classmate lying in a pool of blood, the rest of the children were also very scared. Samita blamed Chandigarh Administration for this accident saying earlier a branch of this heritage tree had fallen and a wall was broken. "Now this big accident has happened. Being a heritage tree, neither the administration nor the school administration did trimming of this tree", she alleged.
Rajinder, whose daughter studies at the school, told reporters that parents received a phone call from the school informing them about the incident. He said his daughter is safe.
Parul Garg, mother of a Class IX student, who was injured in the incident, said that she was very shocked after being informed about the incident. Later the school administration asked her to come to GMSH 16 emergency ward. Children were witnessed on stretchers in school uniforms all around there. Their blood was coming out. The scene was chaotic and terrifying, she said.
Parul further said that her daughter was sitting near this tree for the first time. Usually, only children of small classes sit near the tree. Her daughter said that suddenly a huge tree fell in front of her eyes. Her daughter and other children came under his huge branches. Fortunately, her daughter Geetanjali and some of the children suffered minor injuries.
Another parent said that around four-five years back, the same tree had broken down and fallen. There is also a neem tree shooting out of this tree, which may have turned the situation grimmer. Also, heavy rainfall lashing the city for two-three nights may have led to its fall. Had the authorities paid enough attention to the situation, the tragic incident would not have happened, she added."
UT admn had given heritage status to 250 year old tree
The tree, which had fallen on the school campus, had the status of a heritage tree. The UT administration had given heritage status to a 250 year old tree situated in the School campus. It was covered with cement from all sides and children often used to sit and play near it during lunch time. After the incident, a committee consisting of officials of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, Forest Department, Horti-culture was constituted and the committee members have been directed to investigate such trees near the schools and other educational institutions of the city, so that no more such incidents happen in the future.
Reacting to the incident, Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher tweeted, “A very heart-wrenching incident of a tree falling at Carmel Convent School Chandigarh. My condolences to the bereaved families and I pray for a speedy recovery of the injured”.