An innocent stroll on the terrace turned into a disaster for a 9-year-old girl from Chennai, when she slipped to death from her school building.
Logamithram, a class IV student of the SRM Nightingale Matriculation Higher Secondary School in West Mambalam, had reportedly gone to use the restroom. But distracted by the branches of a tree, she let herself onto the (fourth floor) terrace and while reaching out to touch the leaves, slipped.
Here's how it happened
The police officials who were called on the spot after the girl plummeted into her death narrated a chilling account.
“The child had excused herself from the class to use the restroom at around 2.30 pm. She went upstairs to use the restroom and had seen the door to the terrace open. A curious Logamithra ventured into the terrace. Drawn by the branches of the trees close to the terrace, she had attempted to grab them. In the process, she had scaled over the parapet wall, and tripped," an official reportedly told the leading daily.
He added, "Despite the branches breaking her fall and slowing it, the child landed on the floor head first and suffered grievous injuries. The security guards were the first to notice the fallen child and alerted the school authorities. She was rushed to the private hospital, which is also administered by the SRM group, where she succumbed to her injuries at around 8.30 pm."
Once the police was called on the spot, the school was closed early and the parents of many other students blamed the school for its lackadaisical attitude towards their kids' safety.
However, the twist in the situation came when the police alleged suicide!
The police version shocks all
During their investigations, the police found that the terrace door was seldom left open. In fact, it was a one off incident considering the school premises was undergoing maintenance.
This led to them including a shocking revelation in their report.
Continue reading to see what the police said about this incident and how it could have been averted.
The police's shocking version
They added that the girl had in fact, committed suicide. This has certainly shocked not only the parents but also those known to the girl. Even though they submitted a report with this result, parents are demanding a further probe into the matter.
This is clear with the statement that her uncle Prithivar submitted to the police and also shared with the media.
“We don’t know why she went to the fourth floor when there is a toilet on the third floor where her classroom is located. There is no proper explanation from the management on the cause of death,” he reportedly shared.
This incident is indeed a horrifying reminder of why schools need to be more vigilant about their students and put a system in place for their protection and safety.
Child safety in school
Although once your ward is in school, it is their responsibility to take care of him/her, as parents you must ensure that they have all the safety provisions in place. Here are a few things about child safety you must keep in mind when checking out a school.
- Ask your child if he/she feels safe in his or her school and where it is that they feel the safest (within the premises). This will tell you about the safety procedures of the school and the guards they may have employed.
- Ask the authorities about the procedure to report irregularities. Also make sure to know how long it takes for them to reach a solution and how they implement corrective measures.
- Ask the school authorities if they have a safety procedure in place, especially in case of medical emergency. Also make sure to ask if they have communicated the same to the students.
- Enquire about the training that the school administration, personnel and staff has undergone in case of an emergency. You must also be informed if regular drills take place in the school to prepare everybody for unforeseen circumstances.
- Finally, ask them how you as a parent can help with better informing and preparing a child as far as safety is concerned.
Read: Parents are sending their kids to school with long sleeves, here's why you should too!
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