Hyderabad MVSR college Dandiya tragedy: Student killed and 14 injured as lighting frame collapses

A 19-year-old student was killed and 14 others were injured on Saturday evening after a heavy metal lighting structure collapsed during pre-Dasara Dandiya celebrations at Maturi Venkata Subba Rao (MVSR) Engineering College in Nadargul, on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

The deceased student was identified as Sona Narayan Das, a first-year Electrical and Electronics Engineering student originally from Wanaparthy district. Her sister, Meena Narayan Das, was also injured in the incident and received treatment at Pratyusha Hospital nearby. According to police officials, all injured students were shifted to private medical facilities and are currently out of danger.

Hundreds of students and faculty members had gathered on the campus grounds for the annual festival when the massive metal frame holding decorative lighting crashed onto the crowd at around 7:30 PM. Witnesses noted that a strong gust of wind destabilised the heavy structure while students were dancing, triggering panic as bystanders rushed to pull trapped students from beneath the frame.

Official response and safety investigation

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed grief over the tragedy, conveying his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased student. Moving swiftly to handle the situation, the Chief Minister instructed district officials to guarantee that all injured students receive the highest quality medical treatment without delay.

The Chief Minister's Office confirmed that Reddy has directed law enforcement agencies to identify those responsible for setting up the structure and enforce strict legal action if safety violations or negligence occurred.

Officers from the Adibatla police station arrived at the venue shortly after the accident to secure the area and launch a formal inquiry. Investigators are assessing whether the lighting apparatus was properly anchored and whether event organisers complied with necessary structural safety standards.

Incident breakdown

College administration members and student volunteers assisted emergency responders in transporting the injured to local hospitals. State authorities noted that strict monitoring of temporary event structures will be maintained across institutional campuses throughout the ongoing festival season.