Hyderabad: Student injured as ceiling collapses at OU hostel

Hyderabad: Panic spread among students at a boys’ hostel in Osmania University on Tuesday after a portion of the ceiling in a hostel room and washroom collapsed, injuring a fourth-year student. Concerned for their safety, some students called for the immediate renovation of the hostel.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday morning, left K Naveen, a final-year student pursuing Food Technology at Osmania University College of Technology with injuries to his back and head.

The incident triggered a wave of protests on the campus by students who squatted on the main road and demanded safety and security in the campus hostels. The campus has been witnessing a series of protests after the administration issued a circular banning protests in the varsity for the past two days and students have demanded to withdraw the notice.

According to the sources, Naveen was immediately rushed for treatment where he was administered first-aid, along with a TT injection.

A few students claimed that this was not the first incident, as similar cases were reported in July last year when a portion of the ceiling collapsed in the boys’ hostel due to continuous rains. The hostel, built in 1960, currently houses around 300 students, exceeding its capacity.

They also stated that till date no maintenance work was taken up despite of numerous pleas by the students to provide better facilities.