Seven-year-old girl killed as school staircase collapses in Bihar

A seven-year-old girl was killed and three other children were injured when a staircase collapsed at a government primary school in Bihar’s Khagaria district on Wednesday. The incident occurred at about 10 a.m. in Amni Panchayat, within the Mansi Police Station area, during school hours.

All four children were taken to Khagaria Sadar Hospital, where Ritika Kumari, a Class 1 student, was declared dead on arrival. The three injured children remained under treatment at the hospital, according to the supplied report. Rescue operations began with assistance from villagers and teachers, while officials visited the school to establish what had happened.

Sub-Divisional Officer Dhananjay Kumar said initial reports indicated that the staircase was in a dilapidated condition. He said authorities were examining why the school management had not acted earlier and that a proper investigation would be conducted. Kumar said legal and departmental action would be taken if required.

District Education Officer Amarendra Kumar Gond described the incident as a tragedy and said recent rain and waterlogging on the school premises might have weakened the structure. Mansi Circle Officer Leelavati Kumari also visited the school and said instructions had been issued to ensure proper medical care for the injured children. Family members of the dead child blamed the school administration.

Villagers alleged that the staircase had been unsafe for two years and questioned why student access had not been restricted if school officials knew about its condition. They demanded the arrest of the headmaster. The source material did not report any arrests or confirm whether the staircase had undergone a formal safety inspection before the collapse.

Bihar Congress criticised the State government on social media and alleged that poor infrastructure had caused repeated incidents. The party also criticised remarks attributed to Transport Minister Damodar Rawat, who reportedly said the matter was outside his department and should be taken up with the Education Minister. The investigation is expected to determine the structural cause of the collapse and whether officials or school administrators failed to take preventive action.