- A class 8 student died after falling from an autorickshaw in Telangana's Kamareddy district
- The student was transporting chairs for a Republic Day event with other children in the vehicle
- The autorickshaw did not stop after the student fell and disappeared after taking a turn
A class 8 student died after slipping and falling off an autorickshaw while transporting some chairs to her principal's house in Telangana's Kamareddy district. She was the fourth child who was seen either jumping out or falling off that autorickshaw. Despite that, the autorickshaw did not stop and vanished after a turn, visuals showed.
Sangeetha studied at a government-run residential Gurukul School meant for students from the Scheduled Caste community in Banswada mandal.
Local reports suggest that the school staff had brought some chairs in an autorickshaw for a Republic Day function. In a direct violation of safety protocols and child labour norms, young students were tasked with unloading the chairs.
Sangeetha was one of the children travelling in that auto. Suddenly, she lost her balance and fell from the moving vehicle.
She was taken to a hospital in Banswada but was declared dead upon arrival. Doctors said she bled severely from her ears and had multiple injuries to her face and hands. "She wasn't breathing and had no cardiac activity," said an on-duty doctor.
A senior official said the incident occurred when the girls went for a ride after transporting the chairs. However, why the driver did not stop after the girls fell off his auto is not clear.
Kiranmayi Koppisetty, an IAS officer in charge of the area, said the driver had been a regular at the hostel and would often drop off the girls in his auto.
"He may have been inebriated. He is also said to be hard of hearing. It's yet to be probed if the driver did not realise the seriousness of his negligence. Sangeetha suffered head injuries and had severe bleeding after the fall inside the school campus and died," she told NDTV.
The driver has been taken into custody, she added.
The death led to protests by the girl's family and various student unions. Locals blamed the school for negligence and raised questions about why minor students were being asked to perform physical labour instead of professional workers.
Sangeetha's body has been sent for a post-mortem.
Student organisations have demanded strict action against the principal, Sunitha, and the staff who were present during the incident.
A probe has been announced into the lapse of safety standards at the residential school.
