Rajasthan school roof collapse: Teachers ignored students' warnings about falling pebbles, kept having breakfast

Locals during the rescue work after a government school building collapsed, in Jhalawar district. (PTI)

The teachers at the primary school in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar, where the roof collapsed on Friday morning, killing seven students, were reportedly alerted by children moments before the incident.

According to a report by India Today, the students had noticed debris falling and warned the teachers, who were having breakfast at the time. However, the warnings were allegedly ignored, and the children were told to return to their classroom.

One student, recalling the traumatic sequence of events, said, “We told the teachers that pebbles were falling from the ceiling. They asked us to sit down. Then suddenly, the roof came down.”

The students were inside the classroom when the roof caved in, leaving several of them trapped under the debris. Locals and school staff rushed to rescue the children, and emergency services were quickly called. Four students sustained injuries and were immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Two of them, reported to be in more serious condition, were referred to a hospital in Jhalawar city.

The school has since been closed temporarily, and district officials have launched a probe into the incident. Teams from the Education Department and local administration visited the site to assess the situation and determine the cause of the collapse. Preliminary reports suggest that structural weakness due to a lack of maintenance may have led to the accident.

Local residents have expressed anger and concern, alleging that warnings about the building's condition were ignored. They are demanding swift action and accountability from the authorities.

This incident comes amid ongoing concerns about the condition of school infrastructure in rural areas of Rajasthan. The state government has faced criticism in the past for failing to allocate adequate funds for building maintenance and upgrades.