Kalaburagi: A major tragedy was narrowly averted at a Government Girls Pre-University College in Kalaburagi after a portion of the classroom ceiling plaster suddenly collapsed on students attending lessons. The incident left five students injured and has once again raised serious concerns about the safety of government educational infrastructure in the region.
According to officials, more than 80 first-year PUC Commerce students were present inside the classroom when the incident occurred on Thursday morning. A lecturer had just begun teaching when a section of the ceiling plaster unexpectedly gave way and crashed onto the students seated below.
The injured students have been identified as Pooja, Sheetal, Srushti, Sneha and Divya. They sustained injuries during the incident and were immediately shifted to the Trauma Care Centre at Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) for treatment. Hospital authorities stated that the students are receiving medical attention and are out of danger.
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The college, which caters to nearly 2,000 girl students, most of them from rural areas, has now come under scrutiny over the condition of its infrastructure. Students and parents have alleged that the building has been showing signs of deterioration for some time and that concerns regarding safety were not adequately addressed.
What has shocked many is that the college building was constructed only about eight years ago. Despite being relatively new, similar incidents have reportedly occurred in the past. Sources said a section of plaster had fallen earlier as well, but no one was present in the classroom at that time, preventing injuries. Thursday’s incident occurred in a classroom adjacent to the earlier site.
Students have expressed fear about attending classes in rooms where portions of the ceiling appear damaged. Many parents have demanded an immediate structural audit of the entire building and accountability for those responsible for the construction and maintenance of the facility.
Following the incident, local MLA Allamaprabhu Patil visited the hospital and enquired about the condition of the injured students. He assured families that the matter would be taken seriously and announced that he would write to the Chief Secretary of the Karnataka government seeking a comprehensive investigation into the quality of construction and maintenance of the college building.
The incident has sparked outrage among education activists and local residents, who have urged authorities to conduct urgent safety inspections of government school and college buildings across the district to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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