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April 2, 2014

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Pupil killed after wall collapses at Edinburgh school

 

A 12-year-old girl has died after a wall at a school in Edinburgh collapsed and landed on top of her.
 
Keane Wallis-Bennett was fatally injured in the incident at Liberton High School yesterday morning (1 April).
 
Crews from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Services were sent to the school, but Keane was pronounced dead at the scene.
 
Thirteen-year-old pupil, Devon Blyth, told the BBC she had warned a teacher about an unstable wall in the girl’s changing room where the incident took place.
 
She said the teacher had told her “it should be fine — and then this has happened”.
 
Liberton High School, which has about 650 pupils, was built in 1959 and the PE accommodation was refurbished in the mid-1980s. 
 
A statement released by the City of Edinburgh Council said: “We understand the wall that collapsed was a free standing modesty wall in a changing room.
 
“A full survey of all our schools, including Liberton High School, was carried out in 2012/13 and no concerns with this wall were identified. However, as a precaution, specialist council building services staff will be surveying all similar walls in schools where we know that they exist.”
 
Following the incident, the school sent a text message to parents, which read: “Important. Accident at school. A pupil has sadly died. Her parents are aware. No-one else is injured.”
 
An Edinburgh City Council spokesperson said senior education staff and health and safety officers from the council were providing support to staff and pupils. 
 
The HSE confirmed it was aware of the incident and was liaising with Police Scotland.

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