The post-mortem report of a 13-year-old boy who died during a school trip to Imagica Theme Park has confirmed that he suffered a cardiac arrest. The deceased, Ayush Dharmendra Singh, a class VIII student of Ghansoli Municipal School No. 76, collapsed while on a school excursion to the theme park in Sangadewadi, Khalapur, Raigad district.

According to reports, Ayush began feeling unwell and sat on a bench to rest at around 5.30 pm on Tuesday.” Moments later, he collapsed on the ground. Imagica staff and accompanying teachers immediately rushed him to the park’s first aid center, and later, he was transported via cardiac ambulance to Parvati Hospital in Khopoli. However, doctors declared him dead on arrival,” police inspector Sachin Pawar from Khalapur police station said.

Following the incident, the Khalapur Police Station registered the case as an accidental death. A post-mortem examination conducted at the Khalapur Primary Health Center confirmed that the cause of death was a heart attack, said a statement released by Raigad police on Wednesday. Further investigations are being carried out by Police Sub-Inspector Alok Khismatrao of Khalapur police station.

According to the education officer Aruna Yadav from Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), around 416 students from class VI to class VIII had gone for the trip.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Navi Mumbai has raised concerns about legality of such school excursions, with many questioning whether there was permission for such a trip and if the tendering process was done legally.

Addressing a press conference at Navi Mumbai, Gajanan Kale from MNS pointed out that the state government mandates educational tours to historical, geographical, cultural, or academic sites, yet municipal officials ignored this rule and insisted on sending students to an adventure park in extreme heat. He raised several questions including whether there were enough teachers per student. “As per rules, one teacher is required for every ten students, but was this followed? Were necessary safety measures in place to protect students from heat? Did senior officials consider the risks of high-adrenaline rides at Imagica?” questioned Kale. He questioned whether the Deputy Director of Education had approved such trips and whether the administration had overlooked safety concerns. He further alleged that a NMMC clerk, allegedly received a Rs 2 crore contract for managing these trips without a proper tender process. Kale accused the administration of flouting rules for financial gains.

In his conference Kale demanded a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the entire incident and immediate suspension and criminal charges against the Deputy Commissioner of Education and the Education Officer along with substantial financial compensation for the deceased student’s parents. “Strict implementation of the government’s guidelines on educational trips in all private and government schools should be done,” Kale said.