A narrow escape for students as school roof collapses

A part of the tiled-roof of a classroom collapsed at around 11 am on Tuesday. The school was built in 1969 and was funded by the taluk board. Over the years, the walls of the school had developed cracks, but the school was still being run in the same building.

The school has a strength of 39 students studying from class one to five. Classes for students from class one to three is held in a new room constructed behind the school, while class four and five students were being taught in the dilapidated room.

On Tuesday, the school was opened at 10.20 am and students started coming in. Fortunately, Chalapathi, the assistant teacher, did not feel like letting the class four and five students enter the old classroom and asked them to sit in the new room.

Just as the classes were to begin at 11 am, a part of the roof of the old classroom collapsed. Had the teacher not prevented the students from entering the classroom, a major tragedy would have befallen Mannenahalli.

Tahsildhar Jayamadhava, Block Education Officer S V Padmanabha, Revenue Inspector Venkateshappa visited the village. Village head Raghunatha Reddy appealed to the officials to sanction the construction of a new school building in the village.