7 schoolgirls wounded as ceiling plaster falls on them

Photo: Star

Seven schoolgirls were injured as chunks of the ceiling plaster of their high school classroom fell on them in Rangpur city yesterday.   

They are Shahana Akter, 15, Jesmin Akter, 15, Beli Akter, 15, Monika Akter, 14, Ankhi Akter, 15, Sneha Akter, 14, and Mim, 14. They are class-IX students of Mariam Nessa Girls' High School at Munsipara.

Nasrin Nahar, an assistant teacher of the high school, told The Daily Star that around 30 students had sat for their half-yearly examinations at a classroom in the building constructed in 1993. 

The one and an half hour test started at 10:00am. As soon as the exam ended, big chunks of the ceiling plaster collapsed suddenly, leaving the girls wounded. They were taken to Rangpur Medical College Hospital, said Nasrin, also invigilator of the exam.

Another examinee Laboni Akter, who narrowly escaped injuries, alleged that they did not want to sit in the classroom as its ceiling plaster was vulnerable to collapse.

She also alleged that they had told their headmistress several times that the ceiling plaster of the classroom could collapse anytime, but she never paid heed to them.

Contacted, Firoza Begum Lota, headmistress of the school, said it was just an accident. She declined to comment on the complaints received before.

Police and officials of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Rangpur visited the classroom.

Md Samsuzzoha, deputy director of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Rangpur, said around 80 square feet plaster from the classroom ceiling fell.