Nearly two dozen students injured in Bihar's school stampede

Nearly two dozen students and a teacher were injured in a Bihar school stampede triggered by fear of an earthquake when a portion of a classroom roof fell on Wednesday morning, an official said.

The incident occurred in Mukundi Choudhary High School in Kadirabad in Darbhanga district, about 200 km from Patna.

"Fear of earthqake is such that when a portion of roof fell, it created panic among the students. They thought that quake has again hit and ran for safety, in which they were injured along with a teacher," Indradeo Das, school principal, said.

Das said at least five children sustained serious injuries and were admitted to a local hospital for treatment.

After the stampede, local residents staged protests and alleged that the portion of the roof collapsed because low-quality building materials were used by contractors. The residents have demanded an inquiry into it.

A massive earthquake rocked major parts of Bihar on April 25, killing 60 people. Another quake hit the state in May, killing 16 people.