One of the students who witnessed the deadly school building collapse in Rajasthan's Jhalawar has said that she had flagged to her teacher that gravel was falling from the roof, but was "ignored".
Seven children were killed and 27 others injured when a portion of their government school building collapsed on Friday, minutes before the morning assembly. The victims were identified as Payal (12), Priyanka (12), Kundan (12), Harish (8), Kartik and a brother and sister -- Meena (12) and Kanha (6).
"When we reached school, the teacher asked us to wait in the classroom for morning prayers. Then some pieces of gravel started falling from the roof. A student immediately informed the teacher, who said, 'Nothing was falling.' The roof later collapsed. I was able to escape, but others were trapped," a student told reporters while recounting the horrifying incident.
Another student said the teacher was having 'poha', a staple breakfast snack, when the roof collapsed.
They also said they had repeatedly flagged the issue, but no action was taken.
#WATCH | Rajasthan | On the Jhalawar school roof collapse, two students of the school say, "While we were sitting inside the classroom, stones started falling from the roof. Immediately, we informed our teacher, but what we said was ignored. Later, the roof collapsed." pic.twitter.com/nXlVRkGHKD
— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2025
Jhalawar collector Ajay Singh, however, said the district administration had recently instructed the education department to give information about any dilapidated school building and said that this one did not figure in the list.
Five staffers of school have been suspended.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma held a high-level meeting after the incident and said he has told officers to ensure that no school building should be in a dilapidated condition.
झालावाड़ जिले के पीपलोदी गांव में विद्यालय भवन की छत गिरने से हुए हृदयविदारक हादसे में दिवंगत मासूम बच्चों को मुख्यमंत्री निवास पर आयोजित उच्च स्तरीय बैठक में मौन धारण कर, श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित की।
— Bhajanlal Sharma (@BhajanlalBjp) July 25, 2025
बैठक में विभागीय अधिकारियों एवं वीसी से जुड़े समस्त जिला कलक्टर्स को सरकारी भवनों… pic.twitter.com/ZSVPOJW9yE
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths.
"The news of the collapse of a school roof in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, resulting in the death and injury of several students, is extremely tragic. I pray that God grants strength to the grieving families to bear this pain," President Murmu said in a post on X in Hindi.
PM Modi called the incident "tragic" and "deeply saddening".
"My thoughts are with the affected students and their families in this difficult hour. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected," he said.
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