Andhra Pradesh: Class VIII girl electrocuted at tribal welfare school, police probe on

A 13-year-old girl student was electrocuted at a tribal welfare ashram school in Eluru district in the early hours of Friday. The deceased, Kechhala Shiva Parvathi, was a Class VIII student at the Tribal Welfare Ashram School for Girls in Sivakasipuram village, Velerupadu mandal.

Shiva Parvathi, a native of Chittamreddypalem village, died while drying clothes. According to fellow students, she had placed wet clothes on an iron window grille that had become live after a power cable fell on it. She suffered critical burns and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead.

Following the incident, officials including K.R. Puram Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Project Officer Ramulu Naik and Eluru district Tribal Welfare Department Deputy Director Jagannadha Rao visited the school to assess the situation.

The girl's family and villagers staged a dharna in front of the institution, demanding action against the staff they held responsible and justice for the family. They also sought adequate compensation and a thorough inquiry into the safety lapses that led to the tragedy.

Velerupadu Sub-Inspector P. Naveen Kumar said the police have registered a case and an investigation is underway. The exact cause of the electrical fault and the circumstances surrounding the incident are being examined.

The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of infrastructure in residential tribal welfare schools, which are intended to provide free education and shelter to children from tribal communities. Activists and local residents have called for comprehensive safety audits of all such institutions in the region, particularly regarding electrical wiring and maintenance.

Tribal welfare ashram schools operate under the state's Tribal Welfare Department and house students from remote and marginalised communities. This tragedy highlights the urgent need for regular inspections and strict enforcement of safety norms to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Authorities have assured that the investigation will be conducted transparently and that appropriate action will be taken against any negligence. The district administration has been asked to submit a detailed report on the incident.