School Tragedy / Kendrapada: Class VIII student dies after collapsing in classroom

Kendrapada, Nov 9: A Class VIII student died after she allegedly collapsed inside her classroom at a government Girls' High School in Odisha's Kendrapada district on Monday, triggering questions over the circumstances leading to the incident and the response of school authorities.

The deceased has been identified as Biswarupa Behera, a resident of Mahadeiadia village. She was studying at Kamala Adarsha Girls' High School at Ayatan under Rajkanika block.

Declared dead at hospital

According to reports, Biswarupa collapsed during the first period today and was later taken to the Rajkanika Community Health Centre, where doctors declared her dead.

Doctors said the exact cause of death would be known only after the post-mortem examination report is received.

The incident has left the family in shock, with relatives demanding a thorough inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the student's death.

School's version

School authorities claimed that a teacher heard the sound of a firecracker inside the classroom during the first period. Following this, some students allegedly informed teachers that Biswarupa had “Rasuna” crackers in her school bag.

According to Headmistress Shraddhanjali Rout, the student collapsed moments later while picking up a firecracker and attempting to place it inside her bag.

The headmistress said the student's family members were informed immediately and an ambulance was also called. She maintained that the parents arrived at the school and took the girl to hospital.

Questions raised

However, family members and local residents have questioned the school's handling of the situation. They alleged that Biswarupa was not immediately shifted to a medical facility by school authorities.

The family also claimed that the student had no known prior illness and demanded that investigators examine CCTV footage to establish the sequence of events.

Adding to the confusion, the headmistress stated that Biswarupa had reportedly suffered from episodes of fits in the past and had lost consciousness on one or two earlier occasions.
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Awaiting clarity

The differing accounts have fuelled speculation over whether the student collapsed due to a medical condition or whether any other factors were involved.

Meanwhile, a senior police officer said, “We are awaiting the post-mortem reports, which will provide clarity on the cause of death; further investigation is on.”