Kupwara, Nov 14: A nine-year-old girl died after a school fence collapsed at Upper Primary School Janbazpora Bandpora in Drugmulla area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday afternoon, triggering grief and raising serious concerns over the condition of government school infrastructure.

The deceased, identified as Ghaziya Parvaiz, daughter of Parvaiz Ahmad Najar of Najar Mohalla, Drugmulla, was a Class 3 student. She sustained critical injuries, including severe head trauma, and was rushed to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Kupwara, where doctors declared her brought dead.
The tragedy, which occurred on Children’s Day, sparked outrage among locals, who alleged that repeated complaints about the deteriorating condition of the school had gone unaddressed.
School buildings in a dilapidated condition. Broken doors and windows in washrooms and an open sewage pit within the premises further highlighted the safety and sanitation concerns.
Residents questioned how the condition of the institution had remained unattended despite its occasional use as a polling station and immunisation centre.
A local said on condition of anonymity, alleged that government schools were not subjected to the same level of scrutiny as private institutions despite serious infrastructure shortcomings.
Meanwhile, Tehsildar Drugmulla Syed Basharat Ahmad, accompanied by officials, and Chief Education Officer Kupwara visited the school to inspect the site and ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Locals, however, maintained that inspections and corrective measures should have been undertaken before the tragedy.
The girl’s funeral prayers were attended by a large number of people, and she was laid to rest amid grief and mourning.
The bereaved family and civil society members have demanded a fair and comprehensive probe into the fencing collapse and accountability wherever negligence is established.