Siliguri: Class IX boy falls from school window, dies

SILIGURI: A Class IX student of an English-medium school in Siliguri’s Fulbari died and another boy was seriously injured after both fell through a second-floor window of the school building. Rishab Arya and Hrithik Kumar Singh of Narayana School were playing when they pushed each other and tumbled out of the grille-less window.

They were rushed to a nursing home, but Rishab was declared ‘brought dead’. Hrithik has sustained head and limb injuries. Principal Rajni Prasad admitted that the incident had happened due to absence of window grilles.

The incident sent shockwaves as parents raised questions of negligence on the part of the school authorities.

Abu Taher, father of a Class II girl, said: “My daughter studies in this school. This is a serious lapse on the part of the school. They should have ensured the grille was repaired.”

Asked to elaborate on the incident, Prasad said, “Every class has windows with grilles. Unfortunately, the window from which the duo fell had no grilles. The grilles were broken two days ago and I had no information about it.”

Police said no complaint has been filed yet on the student’s death. Siliguri police commissioner Bharat Lal Meena was not available for comment.