A tragic accident in Piplod village, Jhalawar district, Rajasthan, on Friday morning has shaken the entire state. A dilapidated government school building collapsed suddenly while children were gathering on the school premises to attend the morning prayer assembly. So far, 7 innocent children have died after being trapped in the debris of the building, while 28 other students have been injured. The condition of several of the injured is said to be serious.
Immediately after the accident, the administration started relief and rescue operations. Ambulances and rescue teams were deployed at the scene, and the injured were admitted to nearby hospitals. This accident has not only exposed the negligence of the administration but has also raised serious questions about the dilapidated condition of school buildings.
Vasundhara Raje Holds Education Department Responsible
Upon receiving information about the incident, former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, along with her son and Member of Parliament Dushyant Singh, reached the hospital. She met with the injured children and their families and consoled them. Vasundhara Raje directly held the education department responsible for the accident.
She said, "If the department had taken the condition of the school building seriously in time and the children had been moved to a safe place, this tragedy could have been prevented." She demanded that the state government conduct an immediate survey of all government schools across the state and shift children to safe places wherever there are dilapidated buildings. She described the incident as extremely sad and said that humanitarian sentiments should be shown in such cases, rising above politics.
Situation Worsened by Protests and Stone Pelting
After the accident, angry villagers and relatives of the deceased protested outside Guradi Circle and SRG Hospital and blocked the road. During this time, Congress leader Naresh Meena also reached the spot and joined the protest, who was later taken into custody by the police.
During the demonstration, some miscreants pelted stones at the police, injuring one policeman. To bring the situation under control, the police used mild force to disperse the crowd. Currently, 20 children are admitted to various hospitals — 12 are being treated in Jhalawar and 8 are being treated at the Manohar Thana Community Health Center.
Government Gives Indications of Help
State Education Minister Madan Dilawar also reached the spot and inquired about the condition of the injured. He assured the families of all possible help. He said that financial assistance will be given to the families of the deceased children and no deficiency will be allowed in the treatment of the injured.
Jhalawar SP Amit Kumar Budania said that the bodies of the deceased will be handed over to the relatives on July 26. Also, an inquiry into the accident has been started by the administration, and steps are being taken regarding the safety of school buildings so that such incidents do not happen again in the future.
