"Children are studying there… shouldn’t they pay attention to this?” said Midhun’s uncle, his voice breaking as he spoke about the tragic death of his 13-year-old nephew. Midhun, a Class 8 student at Thevalakkara Boys High School in Kollam, was electrocuted on the school premises around 9:15 am on Thursday.

“Midhun, don’t climb… can’t you hear us?” cried his friends in panic as the boy tried to retrieve a slipper that had landed on the roof of the school’s bicycle shed during a game. Eyewitnesses said he placed a bench on the shed’s roof and climbed up using a plank. While reaching for the slipper, he slipped and instinctively grabbed a nearby three-phase electric line, reportedly connected to a neighbouring house, and suffered a fatal shock.

“He went for tuition in the morning, boarded the bus… and now this is the news I hear. My child told me that he was running late…” his uncle said, wiping away tears.

Teachers rushed to the scene and switched off the transformer before pulling Midhun down. He was taken to Sasthamcotta Hospital but was declared dead.

Police confirmed that the incident took place just as students were arriving for the day. The boy had died on the spot due to electrocution. His body was later shifted to a government hospital.

Local residents say they had repeatedly urged the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to relocate the low-hanging wire, but no action had been taken.

General Education Minister V Sivankutty called the incident “extremely tragic” and ordered an urgent inquiry by the Director of Public Instructions. The Electricity Minister has also sought a detailed investigation and immediate report.

Meanwhile, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has registered a case and demanded explanations from the school and concerned authorities over the serious lapse in safety.