Patna, July 31 : A five-year-old nursery student carried a gun in his bag and fired at a Class 3 boy in a school in Bihar's Supaul district on Wednesday, said officials.

The incident occurred at a St Joseph School under the jurisdiction of the Triveniganj police station in the district.

District Superintendent of Police (SP) Shaishav Yadav confirmed to IANS that the incident took place during the assembly session around 9 a.m.

Sources said that the victim's quick reflexes played a crucial role in minimizing the injury. By ducking at the right moment, the victim was able to avoid a potentially fatal shot to his chest or stomach.

The victim sustained an injury to his hand and is currently admitted to a hospital and out of danger.

Following the incident at St. John's School, the teachers recovered the weapon and called the parents of both the victim and the nursery student. During the discussion, the weapon was placed on a table. Seizing the opportunity, the father grabbed the weapon and his son and fled from the school on a bike.

Sources said the school administration called the parents first and the police were informed later.

After the incident, a large number of parents and residents gathered at the school and created a ruckus both inside and outside the school premises.

'At present, efforts are underway to calm down the agitating parents, with adequate security forces deployed to restore normalcy in the area,' SP Yadav said.

He stated, "We are investigating the incident to determine how the child brought the weapon inside the school. It is the initial period of investigation, and we will conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain whether it is a licensed weapon or not. Appropriate action will be taken following the investigation."

The incident has also raised concerns about the school's security measures. The SP mentioned that action will be taken against the school administration as well, indicating that the security lapse will be addressed accordingly.

/IANS