NEW DELHI: At least four children were killed and 17 injured in India’s western state of Rajasthan after the roof of a school building collapsed on Friday, local media reported, with dozens still feared trapped under the rubble.
Visuals from news channels showed locals gathered around the site of the collapse as authorities used a crane to remove the debris.
Local media reported that students were attending classes in a government school in Jhalawar when the building collapsed.
The incident took place around 8:30am local time at the Piplodi Government School in Manohar Thana, Jhalawar district, according to NDTV. Officials said around 40 children, along with teachers and staff, were present when the roof of the single-storey building collapsed.
According to NDTV, the building was in a dilapidated condition and had been the subject of previous complaints. The school offers education up to Class 8.
“Instructions have been given to the concerned authorities to ensure proper treatment for the injured children,” Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said in a post on X.
Some of the injured children were in critical condition, local police officer Amit Kumar confirmed to PTI, The Economic Times reported.
“Four children have died and 17 others are injured. Ten children have been referred to Jhalawar, out of which three to four are critical,” Jhalawar Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar told news agency PTI.
The Indian Express quoted Dangipura police station ASI Abdul Hakim as saying the students who died were between 14 and 16 years old. Senior officials from the district administration, police, and education department rushed to the site and began rescue operations.
The injured were first taken to the Manoharthana Community Health Centre (CHC), where doctors declared four children dead. Eight critically injured students were referred to the Jhalawar District Hospital for further treatment, The Indian Express reported.
