Girl, aged 3, injured as portion of school compound wall collapses near Dharmapuri

DHARMAPURI: A three-year-old girl was critically injured when a portion of a damaged boundary wall of a panchayat union middle school in Vellichandai in Dharmapuri district fell on her on Tuesday.The girl, Tharika, daughter of labourers Dhandapani and Abhirami, was playing near the school entrance when a portion of the wall fell on her. She suffered severe injuries on her abdomen and pelvis.Neighbours rescued her and took her to a private hospital in Karimangalam. Her condition was said to be critical.The school has around 90 students studying in classes from I to VIII. Residents said the compound wall had remained in a dangerous condition for years due to poor maintenance. "Repeated complaints and petitions were submitted to several officials, including district collector R Sadheesh, seeking urgent repairs, but no action was taken," said M Madeswaran, a resident.V Palanimuthu, another resident, blamed official negligence for the accident. “If the wall had collapsed during school hours, many students would have been injured," he said.