Trying a stunt of walking on coconut shells, 9 year old schoolgirl dies in school!

Trying a stunt of walking on coconut shells, 9 year old schoolgirl dies in school!

A sorrowful incident is reported of a 9 year old schoolgirl of Dehiowita Primary School falling down suddenly while engaged in a stunt of walking on coconut shells.

"The time was around 12 or 12.30 in the afternoon. We were 15 feet away from where that child was walking. All of a sudden this schoolgirl fell face down. The ground in fact was a very good one where there were no

stones etcetera as such. The children had got on top of coconut shells and were holding the ropes and walking. This particular student suddenly fell down. Then though she was taken to hospital, she had died, we came to know", a teacher of that school has said.

What the Principal of that school, Mr. K.A.D. Rohana Wijeyratna said was that they conduct practical activities of this type according to directions given on page 70 in the workbook. Since it is being done for a period of ten or fifteen years in that school it was not something new. As teachers, we consider it a responsibility and duty to train and see that the school children engage in those activities. This is the first time that a thing like this has taken place. It is Ranasingha Aarachchi Saheli Nivarina Madakili (9) living in Dehiowita Walpola studying in grade 4 of Dehiowita Buddhist Primary School who had thus passed away from this incident.

This is what the lady teacher in her class had to say: "I am the class teacher of the deceased child of this village school. This child is an obedient, innocent and humble girl. According to the curriculum, external activities such as walking on top of coconut shells are conducted in the school on all five days. On the 28th, the day when this accident happened, the activity began around 11.30 in the morning. About 40 children took part in this act of going on coconut shells. It was done at the school playground. But this student fell down unexpectedly. We sensed that she was in a serious state. It was when she was taken to hospital that she had passed away. There were no external injuries as such. We don't know whether the girl had any heart problems or not".

P​arts of the girl's body are expected to be directed to Government Analyst, Colombo to determine as to in which manner death has taken place. The magisterial autopsy was conducted at Avissawella Hospital in the presence of Avissawella Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Mrs. K. Jeevaruwan yesterday (1). ​