What Happened?
Four students died and dozens were injured after a high school walkway collapsed near Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday, Feb. 1, according to NPR.
The Hoerskool Driehoek high school is located about 45 miles south of Johannesburg in the Gauteng province. ENCA, a local news station, reported that the students at the school are between 13 and 18 years old.
Gauteng Head of Education Panyaza Lesufi reported via Twitter on Friday that two boys and one girl died.
“It is painful to see those tiny bodies in that state,” Lesufi said.
ENCA reported that a fourth student died on Sunday and that 19 children were still receiving treatment for severe injuries in local hospitals.
A pastor held services at the scene where young students from nearby schools came by to mourn, lay flowers and light candles, NPR reported.
“My heart goes out for the school because a lot of my friends were [there],” said Herco Lintvelt, a boy from a neighboring school. “I hope they can build the school up again.”
The Latest
Police said that the cause of the collapse was unknown, according to the New York Times.
The school has remained closed since the collapse while teachers, students and families receive trauma counseling. An investigation of the school’s structure has been opened, according to ENCA.
