Jhalawar: Seven children were killed and 27 others injured after a portion of a government school building collapsed in Piplodi village of Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district on Friday morning, police said. The youngest victim was just six years old.
The incident occurred at the Government Upper Primary School during school hours when a section of the building, housing classes 6 and 7, suddenly gave way, burying several students under the debris. According to initial reports, some students had noticed warning signs and alerted the teachers shortly before the collapse, but their concerns were allegedly dismissed.
“A few students had rushed to inform the teachers after they noticed pebbles falling from the ceiling,” a Class 8 student told India Today TV. “But the teachers, who were having breakfast at the time, reprimanded us and asked us to go back to our classrooms.”
The same student recounted that children were made to sit for morning prayers when the roof came crashing down. “If we had been evacuated in time, this wouldn’t have happened,” the student added.
Local villagers and school staff helped rescue the injured children, who were rushed to nearby hospitals. Officials from the Education Department have launched an investigation into the incident, including the reported negligence by school staff. Authorities said action will be taken once the probe is complete.
