Kota (Rajasthan), Jul 25 (PTI) Former chief minister and sitting MLA Vasundhara Raje, accompanied by her son Dushyant Singh, met the injured schoolchildren in the hospital and consoled the kin of those who lost their lives when a portion of a government school building collapsed here on Friday.
State Education Minister Madan Dilawar also visited the community health centre in Manohar Thana, where the bodies were kept, and consoled the bereaved families.
A portion of a government school in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district collapsed on Friday just as the students were assembling for morning prayers, killing seven children and leaving 28 injured, some of them critically.
The part of the Piplod Government School building housing Classes 6 and 7 gave way, burying about 35 children, police said.
Following this, villagers, along with the family members of the deceased, despite being persuaded by officials, staged protests and blocked roads at Guradi Circle and outside SRG Hospital in Jhalawar. They were later joined by Congress leader Naresh Meena; however, police detained Meena soon after.
Protesters at Guradi Circle turned aggressive when police reached the spot to clear the roadblock and started pelting stones at the police, injuring a policeman.
The police used mild force to disperse the agitators, Jhalawar SP Amit Kumar Budaniya said.
He said that the bodies would be handed over to the family on Saturday morning.
The SP said 20 schoolchildren, including 12 in SRG Hospital in Jhalawar and eight in CHC Manohar Thana, are currently under treatment.
Speaking to the media at SRG Hospital, former chief minister Raje pointed to negligence by the education department, saying the tragedy could have been averted had the department identified the dilapidated building in a timely manner.
“If the education department officials had identified such schools in the state earlier and shifted the children to another safe building, these children would not have become victims of fate,” Raje said.
Terming the incident “very tragic”, Raje said, “As soon as I got the news of this incident, I was deeply shocked. I, along with Jhalawar-Baran MP Dushyant Singh, immediately left for the place from Delhi.” “The education department should survey all the schools in the state. Wherever schools are in a dilapidated condition, children should be shifted to other safe buildings. Such schools should be demolished and new buildings constructed, so that children’s lives are not endangered,” she said.
Raje said such incidents create an atmosphere of fear among children and directed officials to ensure that such incidents do not recur. She also urged not to politicise the issue and to maintain human sensitivity.
“We will try to address any demands at the appropriate level and resolve whatever is possible,” she said.
Meanwhile, State Education Minister Madan Dilawar visited Manohar Thana CHC and assured the victims of all possible assistance.
The education minister inquired about the well-being of the hospitalised students and wished them a speedy recovery. He spoke with the families of the injured and assured them of all possible support from the government.
Dilawar expressed deep condolences for the children who lost their lives in the incident and extended sympathy to the grieving families. PTI COR HIG HIG
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.