A devastating incident occurred on Friday morning in Piplodi village of Manoharthana area in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district, where the roof of a government school building collapsed, burying dozens of students under the debris.
The incident took place at the Government Higher Primary School, which was operating out of an old and dilapidated structure.
The collapse happened around school hours, triggering chaos and panic.
According to eyewitnesses and local villagers, over 50 students were present in the classrooms when the roof suddenly caved in due to persistent heavy rainfall over the past few days. The sound of the collapse was followed by screams and confusion as dust and debris engulfed the area.
Without waiting for help, villagers and school staff immediately began rescue efforts, manually clearing debris to pull out the trapped children. The injured students were rushed to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Manoharthana using private vehicles, with many of them reportedly in serious condition.
The exact number of casualties is yet to be confirmed.
Upon receiving the information, police and administrative officials arrived promptly at the site.
Rescue operations were underway with the help of JCB machines and teams from the disaster response force at the time of writing this report.
Authorities are working tirelessly to remove the remaining rubble and locate all trapped individuals.
Emergency medical teams have been stationed at the site and at local hospitals to ensure immediate care, said officials.
District Collector and senior officials have instructed hospitals to provide the best possible medical attention to the injured students.
Meanwhile, the tragic event has raised serious concerns about the structural safety of school buildings, particularly in rural areas. Questions are being raised about the negligence in repairing old school infrastructure, which continues to put children's lives at risk.
A high-level inquiry has been demanded into the incident to identify responsibility and prevent such tragedies in the future, said locals.
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