The principal and sports teacher of a residential school for tribal children in Maharashtra’s Gondia district were suspended and an enquiry has been initiated, an official said.
Around 120 students were forced to travel in a tempo. The tempo was ferrying them back from the venue of a sports event at Koylari village, around 30 km away from the school.
Eight students (Girls) fainted due to suffocation and had to be hospitalised on Saturday after they were forced to travel with 120 other students in a small tempo. On their way back when the girl fainted, the vehicle was immediately taken to the rural healthcare centre in Ekodi village. Five students were treated and three were taken to the government hospital Gondia.
The incident occurred in a government secondary ashramshala for tribal children in Majitpur. The principal and sports teacher of the school were suspended for their negligence.
Gondia Collector Nayana Gunde said the school falls under the Integrated Tribal Development Project. “The overcrowding in the vehicle led to a reduced level of oxygen and a few girls, who were already tired from the sports event, fainted on the way,” the collector said.
Project Officer Vikas Rachelwar said, “It was the school principal’s responsibility to ensure the safety of students during the event. The distance was around 30 km from the school. If two vehicles were not available, the principal could have planned accordingly to make two trips so that all 120 students could be taken back to school comfortably”.
