Hyderabad: A first-year engineering student died after a steel structure fitted with decorative lights collapsed during a Dandiya event at Maturi Venkata Subba Rao (MVSR) Engineering College in Hyderabad on Saturday, October 17. The incident also left 14 students injured and triggered panic among hundreds of students attending the celebrations.

The deceased student, identified as Sona Narayan Das, was pursuing Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE). She sustained serious injuries when the structure fell and was taken to a nearby private hospital, where she died during treatment.

Police said strong winds brought down the lighting structure during the event at the college campus in Nadargul, which falls under the Adibatla police station limits in Rangareddy district.

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14 students injured, all reported out of danger

The collapse occurred while students were participating in the Dandiya celebrations as part of the college's two-day annual technical and cultural festival, Sangamam. Hundreds of students had gathered on the grounds when the metal truss supporting decorative lights came crashing down.

Videos of the incident circulated afterwards, showing the structure collapsing during the celebrations as students rushed to escape.

College staff and others helped transport the injured to nearby hospitals. Sona's sister, Meena Narayan Das, was among those injured and was receiving treatment at Pratyusha Hospital near Nadergul.

Although initial reports indicated that some students had sustained critical injuries, police later said all 14 injured students were out of danger.

A senior police official confirmed the incident, saying that one student had died and others had been taken to hospital for treatment.

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Family alleges safety lapses

The deceased student's uncle, Suresh, alleged that safety lapses may have contributed to the tragedy. He said he received a call between 7 pm and 8 pm informing him that a lighting and decoration pole had fallen during the Dandiya programme.

According to his account, strong winds were blowing at the time. He said he was told that the structure had fallen directly on his niece's head.

The circumstances surrounding the collapse and any potential safety violations will need to be established through an official investigation.

Revanth Reddy expresses grief, orders action

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed grief over the student's death and conveyed his condolences to her family.

According to an official government release, he directed officials to ensure that the injured students received the best possible medical treatment. He also instructed authorities to identify those responsible for the accident and take strict action.

Police were deployed at the campus following the incident to manage the situation and respond to the distress among students and parents.