Schoolchildren watch PM Narendra Modi's Teachers' Day speech in Allahabad. (Agence France-Presse)
The new roof of a government school building suddenly collapsed today morning before children were supposed to watch Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address on the occasion of Teacher's Day.
The incident took place around 10 am in the Janakganj area of the city when the roof of a hall of a new building, where arrangements were made for the live telecast of PM Modi's interaction with children on the occasion of Teacher's Day, suddenly collapsed only few hours before students arrived for the programme.
"Luckily there was nobody inside the hall when the roof suddenly collapsed," school principal L S Tyagi told reporters.
"We made all arrangements inside the hall for the Prime Minister's address and kids were supposed to arrive in the school for it by noon, but the roof collapsed before they reached due to which a major mishap was averted," he said.
The principal said that he immediately informed District Education Officer Mohar Singh Sikarwar and officials of the Gwalior Municipal Corporation.
Gwalior Collector P Narhari said that he has asked for a technical specification report of the collapsed structure to know the cause behind the incident.