After Rajasthan school roof collapse, chaos, anxiety — and a newly paved road

Kartik was one of seven students who died when the roof of a government primary school collapsed in the district’s Piplodi village. The incident occurred at 8:30 am, when students of the Government Higher Primary School gathered for morning prayers.

Aarti studied in the same school, and was present when the roof collapsed, critically injuring her. Like her, 10 other students are critically injured, while 15 others sustained serious injuries. The funerals of the seven deceased children will be held in the Piplodi village Saturday.

The incident led to protests and demands for compensation, prompting Rajasthan’s Education Minister Madan Dilawar to announce Rs 10 lakh compensation and a job to one member of the deceased’s family.

The S.R.G. Government Hospital, where the critically injured students were admitted, has been unusually busy all day.  The road outside the hospital was repaired, furniture and ceiling fans dusted and staff’s holidays cancelled, all in an attempt to cope with the influx of VVIP guests — from Education Minister Dilwar to Jhalawar MP Dushyant Singh, and his mother and former chief minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje.

There is also heavy police deployment outside, with only those with passes being allowed to enter wards.

“There was chaos in the hospital this morning. Everyone sprang into action,” one nurse said. “Staff on night duty were asked to join immediately. Every hospital nurse, cleaning staff, and doctors were called to join duty. By 11 am, the road outside had been repaired.”

But for parents Devi Lal Lodha and Lalita Lodha, neither the repaired road nor the clean ceiling fan matters, as they anxiously wait outside the ICU, watching for signs that their six-year-old son Murli would get better.  Murli, who had a head injury and still has trouble recalling what happened, was to start school in August but their parents sent him there early “to get him acquainted”.

“I dropped my son to school at 7 am and went to the fields as usual,” Lalita, a farm hand, says.  “Suddenly, my neighbour came running and asked me where my son was. Then she told me about the roof collapsing and I ran towards it,” she says.

A few metres away, Badri Lal is furious. His 11-year-old son Milan is in the ICU and all Badri Lal wants is “good medical facilities for my child and strict action against negligent officials”.

Like others, Milan too doesn’t remember what happened.  “All he could remember was opening his eyes and seeing that he was surrounded by people,” Badri Lal says. “I nearly lost him.”