An 11-year-old boy is in mortal danger after an accident at the Sint-Vincentschool, a primary school on the Leugenberg in Ekeren. A wall in the playground fell for an unknown reason and landed on the child. The parents receive victim care, as do the children and teachers who witnessed the accident.

Some time ago, the management of the Sint-Vincentschool on the Leugenberg in decided to give the playground a new, green jacket. Work started at the beginning of this school year and teachers, parents and sympathizers rolled up their sleeves for the so-called ‘Tile Festivals’.

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The gray floor tiles were broken out and had to make way for a real multi-storey outdoor classroom, a stage and a grandstand. One of the outer walls could also be used for the game of ‘murke knock’. The tiles would also be reused for this construction.

The shell of the first floor of the outdoor classroom had been finished for some time, but on Tuesday afternoon around 3.30 pm one of the walls on the playground collapsed. An 11-year-old boy fell under the wall and was seriously injured. “The child was taken to hospital in critical condition under police escort,” confirms spokesman Willem Migom of the Antwerp police.

Victim care

“Many children on the playground have seen it happen. They were very impressed,” says one of the parents at the school gate.

It is not yet clear how the accident happened. The Antwerp public prosecutor’s office has started an investigation and the forensic lab arrived on site on Tuesday. The parents, but also the teachers, management and children who saw the accident happen, are offered victim care.

The management of the Sint-Vincentschool did not wish to comment on Tuesday and asks to be able to process the accident with the necessary serenity.