Seven students dead after university railing collapses leaving several injured

Seven students have died at a university on Tuesday after a railing collapsed leaving four more students being treated in intensive care.

Shocking footage shows the students at the Bolivian university falling from a narrow corridor after a red barrier collapsed during a student protest.

The University of El Alto students were protesting against student fees on the fourth floor of the building when they attempted to enter a student assembly.

El Alto Police Commander Col. Leonel Jimenez said that the accident happened while a number of Business Administration students gathered together.

It’s believed that around eleven of the students involved in the gathering at the public university fell when the railing collapsed.

Video clips show the group of students moving around to try and get into position before the red railing eventually gives way.

A statement released by the university read: “The university declares mourning for seven days at the Public University of El Alto due to the unfortunate events that occurred on the morning of this day, March 2.”

A statement released by the university read: “The university declares mourning for seven days at the Public University of El Alto due to the unfortunate events that occurred on the morning of this day, March 2.”

An administrator for the university has since said that assemblies had been temporarily halted due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and he was not sure why a large number of students had been allowed in.

Following the horrific incident, local police have since launched an investigation to discover what caused the tragic accident.

Shortly after the news broke, President of Bolivia, Luis Arce said: “We regret the tragedy that occurred at the Public University of #ElAlto (UPEA), where there were several deaths and injuries.

“Our deepest condolences to the people of El Alto and to the suffering families. We await the prompt clarification of the facts.”

Interior Minister Eduardo Del Castillo took to his Twitter page, penning: “So far we have a report of five dead and three people in intensive care after what happened at the #UPEA facilities.”

He added: “I have just instructed the Chief of Police, Jhonny Aguilera, to go to the site to make a full report of what happened.”

Jhonny Aguilera later confirmed that the student’s cause of death had been “defenestration trauma” before adding that the bodies of the students would be returned to the student’s families.