JAIPUR: In a tragic incident that has sparked public outrage, seven students lost their lives and over 25 others were injured when a government school building collapsed on Friday morning in Peeplodi village, Manoharthana block of Jhalawar district.
The students, mostly from Class 7, were inside the school when the structure suddenly gave way. Five children died on the spot, while two succumbed to their injuries during treatment.
The collapse occurred at around 8 a.m.Due to rain, the children had allegedly been kept inside a classroom instead of gathering outdoors.
Moments before the collapse, some students noticed debris falling from the ceiling and reportedly alerted teachers, who allegedly ignored the warning signs.
Villagers and school staff rushed to the site after hearing the loud crash. Locals said the collapse sounded like an explosion. After the accident, children’s books and belongings were seen scattered across the school grounds.
Villagers said it was extremely difficult to pull the children out, and the moment was highly emotional for parents and community members present at the site.
A frantic rescue operation followed, with locals and emergency personnel pulling children from the rubble. Some parents were seen rushing to hospitals with their injured children in their arms. The injured were initially taken to Manoharthana Hospital.
“Thirty-five injured children were brought in. Eleven were critical and have been referred to the district hospital in Jhalawar,” said Dr Kaushal Lodha, Medical Officer at Manoharthana Hospital.
Villagers allege that the school building had been in a dangerous condition for several months, despite repeated complaints to the administration. “There were about 50 children in the school when it collapsed. I had warned teachers many times, but no repairs were ever made,” said Badrilal, a parent of one of the students.
Collector Ajay Singh Rathore said that the school was not listed among structurally unsafe buildings. However, the State Human Rights Commission has taken cognizance of the incident and issued notices to the Director of Elementary Education, the Jhalawar Collector, the Superintendent of Police, and the District Education Officer.
The Education Department has suspended five teachers following the incident.
Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar expressed deep sorrow and announced that the government would cover all treatment expenses.
He said that thousands of school buildings in the state are in a dilapidated condition. "Work has begun to repair them, and about ₹200 crore will be spent. At present, the priority is to ensure that the injured children receive proper treatment and recover soon," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma also expressed condolences over the loss of lives.
Jhalawar is considered a political stronghold of former CM Vasundhara Raje and current Education Minister Madan Dilawar.
A letter written earlier by BJP MLA and former minister Pratap Singh Singhvi, warning about the condition of school buildings in the region has resurfaced and is widely circulating on social media.
This is the latest in a series of such incidents across Rajasthan. In February, three children died in Bikaner when the roof of a water tank collapsed. In another case, a student was killed in Barmer's Chohtan block when a school wall gave way.
Opposition leaders slammed the government over the incident, while former CM Ashok Gehlot has called for strict accountability. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged party workers to support the affected families.
Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal stated in Parliament that the children of all government officers and leaders should be educated in government schools to ensure the quality of public education improves