A section of the roof in a fourth-grade classroom at Dindigul Corporation Middle School collapsed, injuring seven students who were immediately taken to Dindigul Government Hospital for treatment. The incident has raised concerns among parents, especially since the building underwent repairs just a month ago.
The school, which serves students from grades 1 to 8, has an enrollment of over 400 children. The classroom buildings were originally constructed in 2009 during the DMK government and have been in use since then. Over the years, several structural issues emerged, including cracks and damages in multiple areas. In response, the school administration alerted the Dindigul Corporation, which initiated repair work three months ago, including wall restoration and painting. The fourth-grade classroom was among the recently repaired structures.
On 7 March 2025, while classes were in session, more than 40 students were inside the fourth-grade classroom when the roof suddenly collapsed, injuring seven students, including Mohammed Shakeel, Anto, Gautham, Akhilesh, Tharun, and Ajay. Teachers promptly rescued the injured and transported them to the hospital. Following the incident, Corporation officials and local police arrived at the school, leading to a tense situation in the area. Concerned parents have demanded immediate measures to ensure student safety. In response, the Dindigul Corporation suspended Assistant Executive Engineer Thiagarajan.
Former AIADMK Minister Dindigul C. Sreenivasan, who visited the school, attributed the collapse to substandard, profit-driven construction work. He emphasized that the renovation, which cost ₹1 crore, was poorly executed and called for strict action against the contractor and Corporation officials responsible.
On the other hand, DMK Rural Development Minister I. Periyasamy, who visited the injured students at the hospital, defended the government’s efforts in school infrastructure development. He stated that after Chief Minister Stalin took office, substantial funds were allocated to improve school buildings. He clarified that the roof that collapsed was not part of recent renovations but an older repair where improper plastic adhesion caused the failure. While reassuring that Tamil Nadu schools are well-constructed under the current administration, he acknowledged the mistake and assured that an investigation would be conducted, with necessary actions taken against those responsible.
This is not an isolated incident; similar cases of government school ceilings collapsing on students have been recurring over the past few years under the DMK government.
- On 3 March 2024, three students from a government school near Vaniyambadi were seriously injured when the roof of a newly inaugurated classroom gave way. The collapse occurred at a panchayat union primary school in Shankarapuram, Tirupattur district.
- On 27 August 2024, three students were injured when a section of the ceiling plaster fell on them during class at a government-run school in Krishnagiri. The accident raised significant concerns about the safety and structural integrity of the building, which had only been opened two months ago with MPLADS fund.
- In July 2024, a ceiling of a newly constructed Panchayat Union Middle School near Kanchipuram collapsed, where the building, completed three months prior.
- In August 2024, another ceiling of a classroom at a government school in Thiruporur collapsed, injuring five female students and sparking protests from parents who questioned the quality of the construction
(With inputs from Dinamalar)
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