Ten Students Hurt in Virginia Tech Grate Collapse

On June 26, 2025, ten high school students from Washington County Public Schools fell approximately six feet after a utility grate collapsed during a campus tour at Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus near Pamplin Hall. The students managed to extricate themselves, with seven treated at the scene and three sent to LewisGale Hospital Montgomery for precautionary assessment; all hospitalized students have since been released. The remainder of the tour group was relocated to Derring Hall for support services, and the tour later resumed. University officials promptly barricaded the affected area and are evaluating similar grates across campus to enhance safety. Both Virginia Tech and Washington County Public Schools expressed gratitude for the emergency response and ongoing support to students and families. All students are reportedly safe.