JAIPUR, 28 JULY

A six-year-old student was killed and a teacher injured when a pillar of the main gate of a government school building collapsed in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district on Monday, just days after a portion of a state-run school caved in, leaving seven children dead in Jhalawar district.

Officials said the incident occurred in a government school building in the Ramgarh area when the students were leaving for their homes.

"One child has died in the incident," Superintendent of Police (Jaisalmer) Abhishek Shivhare told PTI.

Another official said that a pillar of the main gate collapsed and the student, Arbaz Khan, died on the spot. A teacher, Ashok Kumar Soni, was injured and admitted to the district hospital.

Angry family members of the victim sat on a dharna outside the school with the body of the child. "Talks with the family members are going on," the official said.

He said that prima facie, the portion collapsed due to heavy winds.

Reacting to the incident, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said that the chief minister should take immediate steps so that no other child loses their life in such incidents.

"The death of an innocent student due to the collapse of the school gate in Jaisalmer is very sad. After the Jhalawar tragedy, the death of a student in this manner should be a matter of concern for the state government," the Congress leader said.

"It is the rainy season. I request the chief minister to take immediate steps so that no other innocent child loses their life. I have deep condolences for the bereaved family," he posted on X.

The incident came three days after a portion of the Piplodi Government School in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district collapsed, leaving seven children dead and 28 injured.

The state government had on Sunday announced a series of urgent measures, including closure and demolition of unsafe school buildings, GIS-mapping of all vulnerable structures, and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor structural safety.

School Education and Panchayati Raj Minister Madan Dilawar, who chaired an emergency meeting with senior officials from both departments, had said a proposal of Rs 150 crore under the disaster management fund has been prepared for repair works in 7,500 schools across 170 tehsils, officials said.

The move came amid growing concerns over the vulnerability of school infrastructure, especially during the monsoon season in southeastern Rajasthan.

Dilawar had said a statewide survey is being conducted by the district collectors to identify the dilapidated school buildings.