1 pyre, 2 siblings: Fury over Rajasthan school tragedy

KOTA/JAIPUR: Grief engulfed Piplodi village in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district Saturday as families bid farewell to seven schoolchildren killed when a government school building collapsed a day earlier.

The youngest victim was seven. The oldest, 13.A single pyre bore the bodies of siblings Meena, 12, and Kanha, 7. "I've lost everything... I had only two children and both are gone. My home is empty... I wish god had taken me instead," said their mother, inconsolable.The other victims included Kundan, 10; Harish, 11; Payal, 13; Kartik, 8 - all from Piplodi - and Priyanka, 12, from nearby Chandpura. They were among 28 children trapped when a classroom wall and roof gave way during school hours Friday.Former CM Vasundhara Raje and Jhalawar-Baran MP Dushyant Singh visited the village, offering condolences and a contractual job to the bereaved father of the two siblings. Of the 21 children injured, nine were discharged Saturday, SDM Abhishek Charan said. The remaining were recovering.NHRC issued notices to state government and Jhalawar SP, demanding a detailed report within two weeks. The commission flagged earlier complaints about the school's deteriorating structure, which locals said were ignored.

Police have filed an FIR against headmaster and four teachers, though Jhalawar SP Amit Kumar said no names were mentioned. "No arrests have been made. Investigation is underway," he said.Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra urged all MPs and MLAs to rise above politics and allocate funds from MPLAD/MLALAD for urgent repairs. "This is a time for accountability, not opposition," he said. Shahpura MLA Manish Yadav said 365 classrooms across 101 schools in his constituency were in unsafe condition.Protests broke out in multiple districts. In Jora Ka Kheda, villagers shared footage of a school with a broken roof.