6-year-old killed as makeshift brick blackboard collapses at Rajasthan school

A six-year-old student was killed after a makeshift blackboard and the supporting wall collapsed on her inside a private school in Rajasthan’s Jalore district on Friday afternoon, exposing serious concerns over unsafe school infrastructure in rural areas. The victim, identified as Preeti, a Class 2 student, was playing with other children during the lunch break at Marudhar Shikshan Sansthan when the structure suddenly gave way, police said.

According to officials, a blackboard constructed using fibre and cement bricks collapsed along with portions of the supporting wall, trapping the child under debris. School staff and locals pulled her out and rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead due to severe head injuries.

Police and administrative officials reached the spot soon after receiving information and shifted the body for post-mortem examination.

QUESTIONS OVER SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE

Preliminary enquiries have pointed to possible negligence in construction and safety standards. Locals said the classrooms were makeshift structures built by stacking cement bricks up to five to seven feet high, with bamboo poles placed above and covered with tarpaulin sheets to serve as roofing.

The wall supporting the brick-built blackboard allegedly collapsed without warning while children were inside the classroom.

Villagers said the school began operating from the structure around five to six years ago after the land was purchased and had around 350 students up to Class 12 enrolled.

SCHOOL STRUCTURE COLLAPSES IN RAJASTHAN

The Jalore tragedy follows a series of fatal accidents linked to unsafe school buildings in Rajasthan. In July last year, seven students were killed after the roof of a government school collapsed in Jhalawar district during class hours. The incident triggered statewide outrage and forced the Rajasthan government to order safety inspections of school buildings across districts.

In a separate incident in Jaisalmer, a seven-year-old student died after a school entrance gate and pillar collapsed, leading to the suspension of officials responsible for failing to address structural risks flagged earlier. Authorities subsequently ordered large-scale safety audits of both government and private schools in the district.

Despite repeated inspections and assurances following these incidents, accidents linked to unsafe or poorly maintained school infrastructure continue to surface, particularly in rural institutions operating from temporary or structurally weak buildings.

PROBE ORDERED, MANAGEMENT UNDER SCANNER

Police initially said the school operator was absconding after the incident, though senior police officer Gautam Jain later clarified that the operator had reached the hospital.

District Collector Pradeep Gavande said administrative officials, including the tehsildar, were immediately sent to the site and an investigation has been launched to determine whether safety norms were violated.

District Education Officer Bhanwarlal Parmar said a committee has been formed, and a report will be submitted to the state government. Action against the school administration will be taken based on the findings.

Police said no formal complaint has yet been filed by the family, adding that legal proceedings will follow once a grievance is lodged.

- Ends

Inputs from Naresh Kumar