John AdoyiAt least seven pupils have died and nearly 29 others have been injured after the roof of a government school building collapsed during morning assembly in Piplod village, Jhalawar district, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan on Friday.
The incident occurred at around 7:45 a.m. local time at the Government primary school when students gathered for their classes.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelSuperintendent of Police Amit Kumar confirmed the deaths, telling local media that ten critically injured pupils had been transferred to the district hospital in Jhalawar town for urgent treatment. Rescue efforts involved villagers, teachers and emergency responders, who used excavators and cranes to pull children from beneath the rubble.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as dust and debris filled the air and villagers scrambled to rescue trapped pupils. “Everyone was running and crying. We tried to get as many children out as possible before the heavy machines arrived,” one resident told local reporters.
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Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and directed officials to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured.
“May God grant a place to the departed souls and give strength to the bereaved families,” he said in a statement.
State Education Minister Madan Dilawar described the tragedy as “very unfortunate” and announced a high‑level inquiry into the collapse. “I have instructed the district collector and education officers to make all necessary arrangements for treatment. We will investigate why this happened,” he said.
Authorities believe that recent heavy monsoon rainfall may have weakened the ageing structure, contributing to its collapse. A full structural assessment is underway.
The disaster has renewed calls from education advocates for immediate safety audits of older school buildings, particularly in rural and monsoon‑prone areas where poor infrastructure poses a significant risk to pupils’ safety.
