Student dies after javelin strikes his chest

A 15-year-old boy died after being hit by a javelin at the Government High School in Talwandi Malliyan village, 21km from Moga in Punjab. Hira Singh, a class 9 student, was playing football on the school ground and had rushed to retrieve the ball from an adjoining ground where other students were practising javelin throws. Hira was hit by a javelin in his chest and died on the spot. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead. The latest tragedy comes barely two months after a 23-year-old woman was killed when a hammer thrown by a national-level athlete during practise went awry and hit her on the head in Ludhiana. Now Hira’s death once again underlines the lack of safety and precautionary measures on sports grounds. Police said the name of the student who threw the javelin was not disclosed. On the complaint of Hira’s father, Harpal Singh, police have registered a case of causing death by negligence against unidentified person under Section 304-A of the Indian Penal Code.