Jhalawar (Rajasthan) [India], July 26 (ANI): Tension prevailed in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district after the roof of a government primary school collapsed, killing seven students and injuring several others. Villagers have demanded a meeting with the administration, prompting the deployment of additional police personnel due to security concerns.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jhalawar, Harsh Raj Singh Khareda, termed the incident a 'major tragedy' and said that authorities were engaged with local residents and the families of the victims.

'This was a big incident that the students had to endure. It was an unfortunate accident. The villagers demand a meeting with the administration. We have been deployed due to concerns over security. The Collector met the parents of the victim students at the incident site,' DSP Khareda told ANI.

Angry over the tragedy, family members and residents of Piplodi village vandalised police vehicles during a protest against the administration, alleging negligence over the dilapidated condition of the school infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has called the collapse of a government school roof in Jhalawar extremely tragic and concerning. He also demanded a fair investigation and the strictest punishment for the guilty.

'The collapse of a government school roof in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, resulting in the death of several innocent children and injuries to many others, is extremely tragic and concerning,' the Congress leader said in a post on X.

'According to media reports, the government ignored complaints about dilapidated schools, which led to the loss of these innocent lives. Most of these children were from the Bahujan community--do their lives hold no value for the BJP government? A fair investigation of this incident must be conducted, and the guilty should be given the strictest punishment,' he added.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also condemned the incident, calling it 'an extremely painful and shameful' reflection of governance.

'The collapse of a government school roof in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, resulting in the loss of several innocent children's lives, is an extremely painful and shameful incident. A government that cannot even repair the roofs of schools--our children's future--despite complaints, boasts of grand dreams of a 'developed India',' Kharge posted on X.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Vasundhara Raje said on Friday that the tragic roof collapse at a school in Jhalawar could have been avoided had the building been identified as unsafe and the students relocated.

'Seven school children died. Around 27 children are injured. As soon as we came to know, we were stunned. Had this building been identified and children shifted to some safe building, this would not have happened,' Raje said after visiting the injured at a hospital in Jhalawar.

'The Education Department should conduct a survey of all school buildings. Where structures are found to be in a dilapidated condition, children must be shifted to safer schools immediately,' she added. (ANI)