An unfortunate incident occurred during the Madhyamik (secondary) examination in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar. A gas cylinder explosion at a school caused widespread panic. The incident took place at Nakkatigach High School in Tufanganj Block 1 of Cooch Behar. At least 200 secondary school students narrowly escaped death. The incident has come to the attention of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE). Officials are in talks with the school authorities.
How the incident took place?
On Monday morning, midday meals were being cooked at the school. Suddenly, a gas pipe leakage led to fire spreading to the cylinder. The entire cylinder was engulfed in flames in an instant. The staff somehow managed to pick up the burning cylinder and throw it towards the empty school grounds. Shortly afterwards, the gas cylinder exploded with a loud bang.
The entire school premises and surrounding area were shaken due to the explosion. The students were terrified. Local residents gathered at the scene. As panic spread among students, the teachers had to calm them down. The students then resumed their exams. News of the incident reached the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. Officials have also spoken to the school authorities.
Madhyamik examinees injured on way to exam centre in Murshidabad
A major mishap occurred on the morning of the Madhyamik examination on Monday. Four secondary school students were injured in a horrific accident while on their way to the examination centre. On Monday morning, a head-on collision occurred between a motorcycle and a e-rickshaw in Murshidabad, as four students were traveling from Bharatpur to Kandi to sit for their exams. All four were injured in the incident, with two of them being critical. They are currently undergoing treatment at Kandi Sub-Divisional Hospital.
According to the state police, the four injured students are Mohammad Azim Mallick, Irfan Mallick, Shamim Sheikh, and Azim Sheikh, all students of Jajan Kenaram High School, located under Bharatpur Police Station. On Monday morning, they were traveling on a motorcycle to their Madhyamik examination centre, Jemo Narendra Narayan High School.
The accident occurred in the Jajan More area. While trying to overtake a bicycle, the motorcycle collided with an e-rickshaw. Local residents and the police immediately rushed to the scene. The injured were rescued with the help of the police. Two of the four had relatively minor injuries and were quickly taken to the examination centre so that they could take their exams after first aid. However, Mohammad Azim Mallick and Shamim Sheikh sustained serious injuries and were admitted to Kandi Sub-Divisional Hospital.
West Bengal Secondary Examination (Madhyamik) begins
Notably, this year’s Madhyamik examination started on February 2, Monday, and will end on February 12. The exam starts at 10:45 AM and ends at 2 PM. The state government has made arrangements to ensure that students do not face any difficulties during the Madhyamik examination. Since there is usually considerable traffic congestion on weekdays, reaching the examination centre on time can be stressful for students. Therefore, the transport department has arranged for extra buses. Arrangements have also been made for students from areas where elephants roam to reach their examination centres.