Authorities in the Indian state of Odisha on Friday demolished a government-run school which was turned into a makeshift morgue where bodies of victims of the deadly train crash were kept.
The decision to demolish the 65-year-old Bahanaga High School was taken after the school management committee urged the state government to do so.
A lot of students and parents were reluctant to return to enter its premises.
While talking to the media, the headmistress of the school, Pramila Swain, said: “The building was no longer safe and the students (especially younger students) and parents were traumatized by the incident.”
She further stated that the management has plans to “conduct spiritual programmes and follow some rituals to help them overcome their fears.”
She told the media that some senior students and NCC cadets from the school had joined the rescue operation carried out after the train accident.
Meanwhile, Balasore District Collector (DC) Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde visited the school on Thursday and told media that he had met school management committee, headmistress, other staff and local people who wanted to raze the old building and renovate it so that children don’t have any fear or apprehension to attend classes.
Shrouded bodies were brought to the school after the deadly three-train crash on June 2. After the crash, the movement of the trains on the route was disrupted for around 51 hours. The train movement resumed on Sunday night (June 4).