The victim, Vishal Verma, a second-year marine engineering student from Basti, Uttar Pradesh, was doing pull-ups on the hoop frame when it suddenly gave way. The heavy structure crashed onto his head, leaving him with severe injuries. Despite being rushed to hospital by fellow students and staff, doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Verma had joined the institute in 2024 and was pursuing a four-year BTech course scheduled to end in 2028. His principal, Dr Sanjeet Kanungo, described the incident as "very tragic," adding that an internal probe would examine whether the frame was defective or rusted. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation.

This accident echoes similar tragedies in Haryana, where two teenagers died in separate incidents after basketball poles collapsed during practice sessions. The repeated failures of sports infrastructure have raised urgent questions about safety standards in educational institutions.