Student Dies After Lighting Structure Collapses at College

A student died and other students were injured after a lighting structure collapsed during a Dandiya event at MVSR Engineering College in Nadargul on October 17. The collapse occurred during Sangamam, the college’s annual technical and cultural festival, as students gathered for the celebrations. Police identified the deceased as Sona Narayan Das, an Electrical and Electronics Engineering student. Reports gave differing injury totals, ranging from 12 to 25. Police accounts later put the number at 14 or 15, and police said the 14 injured students were out of danger. The college director reported 12 injured. The available accounts do not establish a single final count. The structure, which supported decorative lighting, fell onto the area where students were dancing. Police said strong winds brought it down. College Director Prasanna Kumar also attributed the collapse to a strong gust shortly before the event was scheduled to end. The cause has not been established through a completed investigation. College staff and others transported injured students to nearby hospitals. Kumar said the college arranged vehicles because emergency ambulances were taking time to arrive. One...