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NEW DELHI (AP) — The roof of a government middle school building
collapsed Friday in India’s western state of Rajasthan, killing
seven children and injuring at least 21, a senior police
official said.
The collapse occurred soon after the students had reached their
classrooms and were about to start the school assembly, said
police official Amit Kumar.
It is still unclear what caused the roof to collapse.
Frantic parents, teachers, and locals immediately joined the
rescue effort, sifting through mounds of debris to pull out the
trapped students, local media reported.
Local official Ajay Singh said the accident will be
investigated, according to the Press Trust of India. He added
that while the district administration had recently requested a
list of dilapidated school buildings from the education
department, this school was not on it.
The school, located in Piplod village of Jhalawar district, has
students studying up to eighth grade, or what is called a middle
school in India.
A total of around 35 students were present when the roof
collapsed. All seven fatalities were students from seventh and
eighth grade, Kumar said. The injured have been transported to
two local hospitals for treatment.
The office of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lamented the
accident in a social media post, calling it “tragic" and “deeply
saddening.”
“My thoughts are with the affected students and their families
in this difficult hour," the statement read, adding that
authorities are providing “all possible assistance."
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