An Independence Day celebration at Al-Hasan Public School in Sambhal turned tragic after a porch collapsed under the weight of children who had climbed onto it to watch the programme. Eight-year-old Nizam died, while Saif Ali, 11, and Shaidana, 10, were injured and taken to hospital. The deceased child's family declined a post-mortem.

Sambhal: An Independence Day celebration turned tragic in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal on Saturday when a school porch collapsed under the weight of children who had climbed onto it to watch the programme, killing an eight-year-old boy and injuring two others, police said.

The incident occurred at Al-Hasan Public School in Madala Fatehpur village in Sambhal tehsil, where the Independence Day programme was underway in the morning.

Porch collapses under excess weight

According to police, the flag-hoisting ceremony had concluded and children were performing when children from nearby homes, who had come to watch the event, climbed onto the porch above the school's main gate.