Child dies as UP school porch collapses during Independence Day festivities

SAMBHAL: An Independence Day celebration turned tragic in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal on Saturday after a school porch collapsed under the weight of children who had climbed onto it to watch the programme, killing an eight-year-old boy and injuring two others, police said.The incident took place at Al-Hasan Public School in Madala Fatehpur village in Sambhal tehsil, where the Independence Day programme was underway in the morning.According to police, the flag-hoisting ceremony had concluded and children were performing when children from nearby homes, who had come to watch the event, climbed onto the porch above the school's main gate.The structure suddenly gave way under the excess weight, trapping three children beneath the debris.Nizam (8), son of Naeem, died in the incident, while Saif Ali (11) and Shaidana (10) sustained injuries, police said.The injured children were rushed to a hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.District magistrate and superintendent of police inspected the site and issued necessary instructions, police said.Meanwhile, the family of the deceased child refused to have his post-mortem examination conducted.Police said the children affected in the incident were from the neighbourhood and had come to watch the Independence Day celebrations at the school.(With inputs from PTI)