Karnataka Tribal School Collapse Kills Four-Year-Old

A four‑year‑old girl, identified as Apoorva, died on 8 August after an old compound wall and rusted gate of the government‑run Valmiki Ashrama School collapsed onto her in Basavanahalli village, Kushanagar taluk, Kodagu district, Karnataka, India. The incident occurred during rain while she waited for her sister at the school entrance. The gate fell on her, causing severe head injuries that proved fatal.

The school operates under the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) of the Karnataka Tribal Welfare Department and serves about 200 tribal children. The family has accused the school management and ITDP officials of negligence, saying the wall and gate were known to be unsafe and should have been repaired or removed. Authorities have launched an investigation and are expected to inspect the premises and take corrective action to prevent similar accidents.

The tragedy has sparked concerns among parents about the safety of infrastructure in government‑run tribal welfare schools across the district.