Class 9 student collapses, dies during Independence Day race practice in Bahraich

Hindustan Times

4 days ago

A Class 9 student collapsed and died during an Independence Day race practice at Saadat Inter College in Nanpara, Bahraich, on Wednesday, leaving the school and local community in shock. For representation only
The student, identified as Himanshu, 15, a resident of Bhaggapurwa locality, was participating in a 100-metre race along with over a dozen classmates. According to witnesses, Himanshu fainted moments after crossing the finish line and collapsed on the ground.
Teachers and school staff rushed him to the Community Health Centre in Nanpara, but doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Dr Suresh Verma, who examined the student, said, 'The boy was brought dead. A cardiac arrest could be the possible cause of death, but the exact reason will be confirmed only after the post-mortem report.' He also confirmed that the police had been informed.
College principal Arvind Mishra confirmed the incident, stating, 'Himanshu, son of Ram Kumar, collapsed during the race practice. We acted swiftly to get him medical attention, but tragically, he could not be saved.'
Himanshu's family expressed deep grief and alleged there was a delay in informing them about the incident. His elder brother, Shivam, said Himanshu had no known medical conditions and blamed the incident on extreme heat and physical exertion.
The station house officer (SHO) of Nanpara confirmed that no formal complaint had been filed by the family as of now.
The sudden death of the young student has cast a pall over the local community and raised serious concerns about the safety measures during school activities, especially amid high temperatures. The incident has also dampened the spirit of the upcoming Independence Day celebrations in the area.