Jaipur, July 26 -- At least seven students died and 28 others sustained injuries after a roof of a government school building collapsed in Piplodi village of Jhalawar district of Rajasthan on Friday morning, officials aware of the matter said. The incident occurred around 7.45am when students of the Piplodi upper primary government school were assembling for morning prayers. Officials said that the ceiling of the school building housing classes 6 and 7 caved in, burying around 35 children under its debris. "Seven children have died so far," Manoharthana police station house officer (SHO) Nandkishore Verma said. The deceased were identified as Payal (14), Priyanka (14), Harish (8), Sona Bhai (5), Mithun (11), Kartik (18) and Meena (8). Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident. "The mishap at a school in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, is tragic and deeply saddening. My thoughts are with the affected students and their families in this difficult hour. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a post on X. President Droupadi Murmu also condoled the deaths in the tragedy, saying in a post on X in Hindi, "The news of the collapse of a school roof in Jhalawar, Rajasthan, resulting in the death and injury of several students, is extremely tragic. I pray that God grants strength to the grieving families to bear this pain." Rajasthan chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma instructed authorities to ensure proper treatment for the injured students. In a post on X in Hindi, he said, "The tragic accident caused by the collapse of a school roof in Peeplodi, Jhalawar, is extremely sorrowful and heart-wrenching.Instructions have been given to the concerned authorities to ensure proper treatment for the injured children." Scenes of chaos and desperation unfolded at the site, where frantic parents, villagers, and teachers scrambled to pull children from beneath the rubble. Injured students were rushed to hospitals, officials said. They added that nine of them were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the district hospital. Additional district education officer Hansraj Meena said the collapsed building, originally constructed in 1994 by the Panchayati Raj department, had not undergone repairs and likely collapsed due to structural weakness which was worsened by the recent spell of heavy rainfall. "A classroom built in 2011 remained intact, but the old building - already listed for urgent repairs - gave way," he added. In the aftermath of the incident, the state education department suspended the school's headmaster Meena Garg along with teachers Javed Ahmed, Ramvilas Lavanshi, Kanhaiyalal Suman, and Badrilal Lodha, said officials. Rajasthan education minister Madan Dilawar announced a high-level inquiry into the incident, saying, "A very unfortunate incident has taken place in Piplod village. I have instructed the district collector and education officials to ensure proper medical care for the injured. A detailed inquiry will be conducted to determine the cause of the collapse." He also noted that the state government has approved Rs.200 crore to repair around 1,000 government school buildings in dilapidated condition. District collector Ajay Singh said the school building had not been flagged as unsafe in a recent survey despite instructions issued to report such structures. "A detailed investigation will be conducted and strict action taken against those responsible," he added. Hours after the incident, protests erupted in the region with villagers blocking the Manoharthana-Aklera road at Buradi intersection as they demanded compensation for the families of the victims and a visit from the chief minister. During the protests, locals claimed repeated warnings about the school's unsafe condition had been ignored by officials. "This happened due to administrative negligence," said Balkishan, a resident who was among the first responders. "I heard a loud noise, saw the building collapse, and rushed to help remove debris to rescue the children."...