School Balcony Collapse Injures 36 in Uttar Pradesh

At least 36 students were injured, with five critically, after the balcony of Awadh Academy School in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, collapsed during morning prayers. The collapse is attributed to the balcony's inadequate structural integrity and overloading. District Magistrate Satyendra Kumar has ordered a magisterial inquiry, and the school has been sealed pending investigation. Several students received initial treatment at Jahangeerabad Community Health Centre before being transferred to district hospitals and King George Medical University in Lucknow. Police are investigating the school's management, which was absent post-incident, and legal actions are expected based on the inquiry's findings. This incident is part of a series of similar structural failures in schools across India this year.