Rajasthan School Tragedy: 7 Children Dead, 28 Injured in Building Collapse

Negligence Alleged as Peeplodi Government School Crumbles; High-Level Probe Ordered

Jhalawar, Rajasthan : A tragic accident at Peeplodi Government School in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district claimed the lives of seven children and left 28 others injured on Friday morning when a section of the school building collapsed during study hours. The incident occurred in the Manoharthana block, around 340 km from Jaipur.

According to police reports, the students of Class 7 were seated in their classroom when the roof caved in around 7:45 a.m. The collapse trapped 35 students beneath the rubble. Teachers and local villagers immediately rushed to the scene to rescue the children, pulling them from the debris and transporting the injured to Manoharthana Hospital using private vehicles.

Dr. Kaushal Lodha, a medical officer at the hospital, confirmed that 11 critically injured children have been referred to the district hospital in Jhalawar for advanced treatment. The names of five of the deceased children have been confirmed as Payal (14), Priyanka (14), Kartik (8), Harish (8), and Meena Redas. One child is yet to be identified.

District Collector Ajay Singh said the education department had recently been asked to identify dilapidated buildings, but this particular school was not listed. “I have ordered a full inquiry. Action will be taken against those responsible,” Singh assured.

Villagers, however, allege that the tragedy was entirely avoidable. According to a local resident, Balkishan, repeated complaints had been made to both the Tehsildar and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate regarding the deteriorating condition of the school building. “This happened due to administrative negligence,” he said. Another resident claimed he and others rescued children before officials arrived.

The school has seven classrooms, and 71 students were reportedly present in two of them during the incident. Two teachers were on campus but outside the building at the time of the collapse. The affected classroom was housing Class 7 students.

Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar expressed sorrow over the incident, assuring that repair work on unsafe school buildings is underway across the state. “Rs 200 crore has been allocated to address structural issues. Our immediate focus is to ensure proper treatment for the injured,” he said.

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has expressed deep grief over the loss of young lives and ordered a high-level investigation. All medical expenses for the injured will be borne by the state government, and senior officials have been sent to monitor relief operations.

Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also conveyed his condolences. Calling the event “heartbreaking,” he demanded swift action and extended prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured and strength to the bereaved families.