Mumbai:
In a stampede that left students of Victoria School in Mahim shaken, Vaibhav Maitrey of Standard VIII was nearly crushed. The 13-year-old admitted at the P D Hinduja Hospital suffered brutal bruises.
On Monday afternoon, when secondary school children were leaving for home, some students on the school's third floor screamed fire, throwing the 1,005 students of the secondary section completely out of gear.
"I was walking in the line and suddenly students started pushing each other. The prefect had closed the gate and there was no place to move. I fell down and everyone started trampling over me. A teacher picked me up and put ice on my bleeding nose," said Vaibhav, who underwent a CT scan and is under observation at the hospital.
After the incident, the school rushed a few kids to the hospital but they sent Vaibhav home, which upset his parents. "My child suffered major injuries but the school did not take him to the hospital.
"A teacher called me, telling me to pick him up from school," said Vaibhav's father, Bhagwan.
The family is afraid that Vaibhav may be traumatised as he had witnessed a huge fire at Girgoankarwadi in Mahim just the day before the incident.
The police have taken the statements of the school authorities and Vaibhav's parents. "We have not lodged a complaint yet and are investigating into matter," said a police official from Mahim police station.
About 50 parents had gathered outside the school the next morning to question the management. The principal of the school, Father Marshal Lopes, said, "The management is regretful about the incident. We will take measures to ensure such an incident does not repeat. We have paid the medical bills for these children and will support them completely."
He said he plans to install CCTV cameras in the school.
Meanwhile, the Parents Teachers Association of the school has called for a meeting on Thursday.
A PTA member, Agnelo Fernandes, said, "We have called for a meeting to discuss measures
that can be taken to avoid such incidents."