Rajasthan school roof collapse: Teachers ignored student warnings; 5 suspended for criminal negligence
PTC Web Desk: A tragic incident occurred on Friday morning when a government school building collapsed in Pimplod, Jhalawar district of Rajasthan, resulting in the deaths of seven students and leaving several others injured. The collapse occurred during the morning assembly, when students from Classes 1 to 8 were gathered in a dilapidated building. The incident has raised serious concerns about the lack of safety measures and the criminal negligence of school authorities.
According to eyewitness accounts, the students had noticed that something was wrong just before the roof collapsed. They observed pebbles falling from the ceiling and immediately alerted their teachers. However, the teachers, who were having breakfast at the time, dismissed the students’ concerns and scolded them for interrupting. The children were told to return to their classrooms, where the walls and roof were already in a precarious state.
As the students were ushered back into their classrooms, the wall gave way, and the roof collapsed on the children. In the chaos that followed, many students ran in all directions trying to escape, but several were trapped under the rubble. Villagers rushed to the scene and, with their help, managed to pull out injured children. The victims were then taken to a nearby health centre.
As per information, the school building had been in a deteriorating condition for quite some time. The walls and roof had not been maintained properly, and the building had undergone a superficial repair just a month prior. Cement and plaster were applied, but these repairs did little to address the core structural issues that ultimately led to the collapse.
In the wake of this devastating tragedy, the district administration acted swiftly. The Jhalawar district collector, Ajay Singh Rathore, announced the suspension of five officials from the education department, including the teachers on duty at the time of the incident. The suspension came in light of their criminal negligence, which the authorities claim directly contributed to the deaths of seven students and the injuries of more than 10 students
The District Collector said they had earlier issued orders in June that children should not be made to sit in any dilapidated school building and they had repaired several such buildings. He said there was clear negligence on the part of the teachers. An inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the incident, and further actions will be taken based on the report’s findings.
- With inputs from agencies
