ALAPPUZHA: The prompt and timely action of the teachers saved 33 students of Avitom Thirunal Government Vocational Higher Secondary School at Mankombu at Kuttanad from being crushed to death when the two storied building in which they had their classes caved in on Saturday.
Teachers, who were taking extra classes for the students of standard X, noticed a big crack on the wall of the building and immediately shifted the students to another building in the compound. About an hour after the students were shifted the building collapsed, said a teacher. PTA vice president P Radhakrishnan said that the incident took place at 11.30am while the extra classes for STD X students were going on. The two-storey building had been constructed in November 2012 at a cost of Rs 32 lakh. A portion of the building has completely collapsed. Waterlogging and poor construction is responsible for the collapse.
“The building had been built without carrying out proper piling process. Since Kuttanad lies below sea level, the building should have been constructed taking in to consideration this fact,” he added. Local residents said that a major accident had been averted since Saturday was a holiday. Over 800 students study in the school.
Pulinkunnu police said that no case had been registered against the contractor, who had built the building.
Meanwhile, officials from the education department including Deputy Director of Education and people representatives visited school.