A 12-year-old standard three learner died Wednesday after a school block wall fell on him at Fumbi Primary School, Traditional Authority Kanduku, Mwanza District, authorities have confirmed.
Mwanza District Commissioner (DC), Francis Matewere, confirmed the death of Livison Enock while standard one learner Mark Maston, aged six, suffered severe injuries alongside Marika Foster, a 12-year-old standard three learner.
“The classroom block was abandoned because its roof was blown off by recent heavy wind which left cracks on the wall. We understand that the three learners, while going to the toilet, leaned on the wall and it fell on them, killing one and two others have been admitted to Mwanza District Hospital after getting injured,” Matewere said.
A report from the school’s head teacher, Samson Kasapha explains how the accident happened.
“At Fumbi School, we have a school block which is now un-operational because it was blown off by heavy wind last year. It was an LDF [Local Development Fund] project of 2016.
“Sadly, today [yesterday] on 9 October around 9:00 am, one of the walls of the school block collapsed injuring learners and killing one learner. This was confirmed at Tulonkhondo Health Centre by the medical personnel,” Kasapha wrote to the DC yesterday.
Mwanza Police spokesperson, Edwin Kaunda, also confirmed the incident.
Cases of poor school infrastructure killing learners are common in Malawi. Last year, a makeshift school block wall collapsed and killed four learners at Nantchengwa Primary School in Zomba.
A similar accident happened at M’buka Primary School in Lilongwe’s Area 36 where a makeshift classroom wall collapsed, injuring 11 learners.
Poor infrastructure affects primary school education in Malawi.
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