17-year-old boy killed after wall collapse leading to clash between police, students; 4 arrested

NEW DELHI: A 17-year-old boy was killed and his friend was injured in a wall collapse in a school in West Bengal's Malda district on Thursday, leading to violent clashes between pupils of the institute and the police that left seven law enforcers injured and led to the arrest of four agitators, officials said.

The wall of an abandoned toilet in Bangitola High School in Kaliachak II block collapsed when the institute was closed, leading to the death of Zeeshan Sheikh, and injuries to his friend Zeeshan Momin, who has been hospitalised, District Magistrate Nitin Singhania said.

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He said both the boys were class 11 students of the school, and the body was sent for post-mortem examination. A five-member committee headed by Additional District Magistrate Shampa Hazra has been formed to investigate the matter, he said.

According to Zeeshan Sheik's family, he went to use the washroom with a friend, that is when the wall collapsed on them. They were rescued immediately and rushed to the hospital with serious injuries, however, Zeeshan Sheik was pronounced dead soon after while Zeeshan Momin was hospitalised for his injuries. The school has not released a statement regarding the situation.

As news of the incident spread, angry students clashed with the police, leading to injuries to seven law enforcers, Superintendent of Police Pradeep Kumar Yadav said. Tear gas shells were fired to bring the situation under control, and four people were arrested, he said, adding further investigation is underway. The incident lead to a student protest after which an angry crowd of students vandalised the school.