Bhubaneswar: A Class-III student died and another sustained critical injuries after a plaque allegedly fell on them at a government-run residential school in Odisha’s Koraput district today.

The incident took place at a residential school, being managed by the ST&SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department of the state government, at Damanahandi panchayat under Kotapad police limits in Koraput.

The deceased has been identified as Premanand Bhatra of Suaniguda village under Gumuda panchayat. The concrete plaque, installed on the school premises, fell on Premanand and another student while they were brushing their teeth in the morning. He died on the spot while the other one sustained critical injuries in the mishap, reports said.

BJD activists staged road blockade to protest the incident  

The authorities rescued the injured student and rushed him to SLN Medical College and Hospital at Koraput. His condition is stated to be serious.

Protesting the incident, activists of Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the main Opposition party in Odisha, led by former Nabarangpur MP Pradeep Kumar Majhi, former minister Padmini Dian and former MLA Chandrasekhar Majhi staged a road blockade by keeping the deceased student’s body. 

Vehicular traffic on National Highway (NH)-63 was affected due to the road blockade. Senior officials of Koraput district administration and police reached the spot and held discussions with the agitators. However, the road blockade continued till the last report came in.