Panic as tree damages school in Mangochi
There is panic at St. Martin’s Primary School in Malindi, Mangochi as the school authorities grapple to accomodate Standard Eight learners after a tree branch destroyed classroom and administration blocks.
The school’s deputy head teacher Isaac Maclean Sosono said the incident happened around 11pm on Friday.
“It was raining heavily and suddenly we heard something like a gunshot. Then we saw a tree branch on top of the buildings,” he said in an interview.
He described the incident as worrisome because it destroyed a lot of property, including textbooks and computers.
“But our main problem now is the space to accommodate standard 8 learners. As it is, we have planned to accommodate them in a classroom used by Standard Seven pupils. However, this will mean conducting other classes under a tree which is not conducive during the rainy season,” said Sosono.
He appealed to stakeholders to help in renovating the damaged infrastructure.
Malindi Ward councillor Cassim Limamu said he is approaching various stakeholders to address the problem.
St. Martin’s Primary School is owned by the Anglican Church of Malawi and was opened 120 years ago.
The incident follows another one in the same area two weeks ago in which a 35-year-old man died after a fig tree branch fell on him at Nthundu Trading Centre and destroyed property worth K11 million. n
