National News: In a heartbreaking incident in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district, seven young students lost their lives when the roof of their government school collapsed during heavy rain. The tragedy happened on Friday morning in Piplodi village and has shaken the entire state.
The children, aged between 7 and 13, were inside their classroom when the roof suddenly gave way. Five children died instantly, while two others passed away later in the hospital. Nine more are still in critical condition, and 12 others were admitted with injuries. Some children were discharged after treatment.
The government has ordered an investigation, and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma suspended the District Education Officer and five teachers, including the headmistress. Five other education department staff were also suspended. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
What Happened That Morning
Piplodi’s school has classes up to Class VIII and around 73 students. On the day of the incident, 71 children were present. Due to ongoing rain, children from two classes were shifted into rooms that were already leaking.
A student named Tina shared that around 7:40 a.m., rainwater and small stones started falling from the roof. She immediately told her teacher, who ignored her and told her to stay quiet. Moments later, the roof collapsed on the classroom with 35 children. The teachers were reportedly chatting outside when the incident occurred.
Local villagers rushed in, removed debris with their hands, and carried the children to the hospital. Among those who died were siblings—seven-year-old Kanha and his sister, Meena, who was 13.
Years of Warning Ignored
What’s even more shocking is that the building was known to be unsafe for years. Villagers said the roof had been leaking for four years, and complaints were made to the education department multiple times. Instead of fixing it, officials reportedly told villagers to raise money themselves for repairs.
Even though the education secretary had issued instructions just days before the incident to ensure no classes were held in unsafe buildings, no action was taken at this school. After the accident, the remaining part of the school was quickly demolished—raising questions about whether authorities are trying to hide evidence of negligence.
Blame Game Begins
District officials and education authorities are now pointing fingers at each other. The District Collector said the Education Officer failed to act on warnings, while the Director of Education blamed local officials for not arranging alternate classrooms or holidays during the rains.
Education Minister Madan Dilawar, who visited the site, said the school building was around 25 years old. But even that is unclear—no official has exact records of when the school was built. Villagers, on the other hand, say they helped build the school back in 1994.
Angry Protests and Demands for Justice
After the incident, angry villagers blocked the main road by burning tyres. They are demanding 1 crore as compensation for each family that lost a child and a government job for one family member. The police tried to control the crowd and even used mild force when student leader Naresh Meena arrived and was taken into custody.
This terrible incident has exposed the poor condition of government schools and the dangerous results of ignoring infrastructure problems. As investigations continue, the big question remains—will anyone be truly held accountable?
