Patna: An ordinary school day turned tragic when two schoolgirls died after a banyan tree collapsed on them at a govt school in Vibhutipur block of Samastipur district on Thursday. Another student sustained serious injury in the incident at Rajkiya Upgraded Middle School, Chakbudulia, shortly after the midday meal.The victims were identified as Ananya Kumari (13), daughter of Amarjeet Thakur, and Sachhani Kumari (14), daughter of Ram Kumar Mahto. The injured student, Gulnaz Khatun, daughter of Mohd Tajim, was admitted to Sadar Hospital for treatment.According to preliminary information, continuous rainfall had weakened the roots of the nearly 50-year-old tree due to soil erosion. The girls were near a hand pump for drinking water when the tree suddenly came crashing down, giving them little chance to escape. The sound of the collapse drew teachers and local residents to the spot, who rushed to remove the fallen tree. However, Ananya and Sachhani had already succumbed to their injuries.Rosera DSP Sanjay Kumar Sinha said police teams were sent to the school and the bodies were taken for post-mortem.
