Bhubaneswar, Sept. 8: A Class VIII student of Basukera Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir near Sakhigopal in Puri district was killed after the wall of an abandoned house near the institute collapsed on her this afternoon.

The deceased has been identified as Meenakshi Satapathy. Twenty-four girl students suffered injuries in the incident.

The injured have been admitted in Puri District Headquarters Hospital, Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and SCB Medical College in Cuttack. The Puri district collector has ordered a probe into the incident by the district education officer.

The abandoned house was being used as a cycle stand. Eyewitnesses said the incident took place at 4.10pm when the girls, about to return home, were taking out their bicycles from the dilapidated house.

"The classes were over, and we were taking out our bicycles when the brick wall suddenly caved in. Most of us were trapped in the debris. Upon hearing our screams, local residents rescued us. They took us to Sakhigopal Community Health Centre," said Pratibha Baral, a Class IX student, who was later moved to Capital Hospital.

Sources said Meenakshi had been pulled out of the rubble unconscious and rushed to Satyabadi Hospital, where she was declared received dead. The injured had initially been rushed to the nearest health centre, and later, 15 of them were referred to Capital Hospital. Two of the injured were later taken to SCB Medical College when their condition worsened.

Parents of the students alleged that despite repeated demands at parent-teacher meetings to demolish the unsafe house that was being used as a bicycle stand by the school, no steps had been, thus resulting in the incident. "The wall, which is 40-feet wide and 10-feet high was unsafe as it had been built long ago. Low pressure-induced rainfall in the past couple of days might have further weakened it causing its collapse," said Subrat Mohapatra, one of the parents.

School and mass education minister Debi Prasad Mishra and health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak visited the injured at Capital Hospital. "A team of doctors has been formed under the Capital Hospital director to treat the injured students. The government will bear the cost of treatment," said Nayak.

Mishra said the injured were being provided with the best possible treatment. "Fifteen of them have been admitted to Capital Hospital. Of them, two with injuries on their heads and faces, were referred to SCB Medical. An inquiry will be conducted to ascertain the circumstances that led to the incident," said Mishra.