ROURKELA: An 8-year-old boy, a student of government nodal high school in Jarda area in Sundargarh’s Gurundia block, was rescued from a tin box at the hostel’s dormitory on Friday.
The Class III student, was stuck inside the box, used to store students’ clothes, for around three hours. The school is situated around 110 km from Rourkela.
According to the headmaster Gangadhar Seth, the child had a fight with his classmate on Thursday. On Friday, he went to class but returned before attendance. The class teacher noticed his absence at around 10.30 am and alerted his fellow teachers. They searched the school campus and nearby areas. The student’s mother also joined them but could not locate the boy.
Around 12.30 pm, the staff heard noises coming from tin box in the hostel and rescued him. Despite repeated questioning, he did not disclose whether he accidentally locked himself or someone else was involved. His classmate, with whom he had a fight, denied any involvement.
After the incident, the headmaster instructed hostel authorities to closely monitor students to ensure their safety and well-being. The student will be encouraged to share the full details once he is fully comfortable, he said.
Gurundia block development officer Habil Xaxa conducted an inquiry on Saturday and directed the welfare extension officer to seek explanation from the school and hostel authorities.
Based on the circumstances, he said, the student may have hid inside the box out of fear. The tin box had a broken latch and a small opening at one corner that allowed air circulation.