KHON KAEN: A high building wall collapsed, killing a kindergarten pupil and injuring other people at a local private school in Muang district during a rainstorm on Monday evening.
Penbury School was quickly ordered closed until further notice by provincial governor Somsak Jangtrakul, pending a safety inspection. The area was cordoned off to the public.
A four-year-old girl was killed instantly when the wall collapsed and two other pupils, a parent and two teachers were injured. The school was closed for the term holiday. They were taking part in a summer course.
Mr Somsak said the inspection would look closely into the safety standard of the three-storey building. The management sought permission for its construction in 2003, and the building was put up the following year. The school had about 400 students.
"Its approved construction plan was for the building to have solid walls, but parts of it were actually glass window panes," the Khon Kaen governor said.
The tragedy occurred about 5.30pm when a thunderstorm pounded the area. The storm shattered a concrete wall of the school building, sending pieces of it falling three floors onto pupils, teachers and parents who had gathered in the hall.
