At least seven children were killed and 26 others injured Friday after part of the roof and walls of a government-run school collapsed in western India, police said.
“Seven children have lost their lives so far and 26 others are injured,” Nand Kishore, a police officer in the state of Rajasthan, told AFP.
There were around 60 students, teachers and staff members in the single-storey building when the accident happened in Jhalawar district, some 322 kilometres (200 miles) from the state capital Jaipur.
Kishore said the structure collapsed when students were attending their classes early on Friday.
Villagers rushed to the site and rescued many injured children who were taken to the closest medical facilities.
Local media reports said the building was in a dilapidated condition and several complaints had been previously been raised about it.
It had also been raining heavily in the area over the past few days.
According to local news outlets, the children who died were between eight and 11 years of age, while two of the injured students were in critical condition.
Television news footage showed heavy earth movers removing debris and concrete from the site.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply saddened by the tragic incident.
“My thoughts are with the affected students and their families in this difficult hour,” Modi said in a statement posted by his office on X.
“Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected,” the premier added.
Rajasthan state education minister Madan Dilawar announced that there would be a probe into the cause of the “very unfortunate” incident.
“I will get a high level inquiry done today to find out why this incident happened,” Dilawar said in a statement.
He added that local authorities were making “arrangements for the treatment” of the injured students.
Government schools in India face chronic funding shortages, with students complaining of absent teachers, dilapidated buildings, and a lack of basic amenities like clean drinking water or toilets.
The situation has improved in urban areas in recent years but the pace of change in rural India still remains slow.
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© Agence France-Presse
