Eight Students Injured as Roof Plaster Collapses at Damoh Girls' Hostel, Warden Suspended
Damoh, Bureau Report: A shocking incident of administrative negligence surfaced in the Patera block of Damoh district on Wednesday evening, resulting in a terrifying accident. The roof plaster of a room at the Government Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Girls Hostel in Rajabandi village suddenly collapsed, injuring eight young students who were studying below. Taking immediate and strict cognizance of the severe lapse in safety protocols, the district administration has suspended the hostel warden with immediate effect.
Details of the Incident and Medical Response
The tragic event occurred around 6:00 PM while the girls were seated in their room, focusing on their studies. According to Dr. Abhishek Patel, the on-duty physician at the Patera Community Health Center, a major disaster was averted because the girls were awake and sitting separately; had the heavy concrete plaster fallen while they were sleeping close together, the casualties could have been fatal.
- The injured students, aged between 10 and 12 years, include Jyoti, Kajal Ahirwal, Babli Patel, Lakshmi Barman, Rashmi Adivasi, Anamika, Lakshmi Ahirwar, and Shiksha.
- While most sustained minor injuries and shock, 12-year-old Kajal suffered a severe head injury. As a strict precaution, she was urgently referred to the Damoh District Hospital for a CT scan and an MRI.
Administrative Action and Past Negligence
Upon receiving news of the accident, Hatta Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Rakesh Markam and Patera Tehsildar Umesh Tiwari rushed to the health center to check on the victims. Damoh District Collector Pratap Narayan Yadav ordered an immediate investigation into the incident. Following a preliminary probe by Zila Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pravin Fulpagare, the hostel warden, Sita Swami Tiwari, was suspended. The suspension order highlighted a gross violation of explicit administrative directives issued on June 3, 2026, which strictly prohibited seating children in dilapidated rooms.
Alarmingly, locals and eyewitnesses revealed that this is the third instance of roof plaster collapsing in the same deteriorating building. The previous two incidents occurred during holidays, which averted any tragedy. In response to this recurring negligence, Patera Block Resource Coordinator (BRC) Mukesh Gujare has initiated a comprehensive inquiry and mandated urgent structural safety reports from the in-charges of all government schools and hostels within the block, ordering an immediate halt to the use of any dilapidated structures.