At least seven students of class-I sustained injuries as a large chunk of plaster came off the ceiling of a classroom of Prasanna Poddar Lane Govt Primary School in Kotwali area of the city yesterday.

Four of the injured students --Mithila, Soniya, Rubina and Asha Moni—were rushed to Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital while Zahura had to be shifted to Pongu Hospital. The other two injured were released after first aid at a local clinic.

Sources said Zahura sustained severe injury in her hand, head and other parts of the body. She had to undergo a surgery.

Witnesses said the chunk of plaster fell on the students around 9:30am-during drawing class at the four-decadesold school building. The students were badly injured and seen losing a lot of blood from the wounds they sustained, they added.

Panic-stricken students, teachers and locals around rushed to the scene righ t after the incident Soon after the news spread, parents, guardians and relatives of the students thronged the school to rescue the children, witnesses said.

The school was declared closed to avert any more casualties.

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Abdul Gaffer, a school staff, said he raced to the scene hearing screams of the injured children lying in the debris of concrete, bleeding. They all were crying and looking for comfort by calling their parents, he added.

Mukti Rani Paul, acting headmaster of the two-storey school, said, “All of a sudden the chunk of plaster fell on the students of the ground floor creating a huge panic among the children and staff."

Sources from the school said the school building was last repaired in 1994. Thereafter the school authorities repeatedly requested the district education officer and engineering department for the renovation of the school building that was established in 1967. However, the government authorities took no measures against the school authorities' reminder.