Rajasthan school tragedy: Six children cremated together, siblings laid to rest on same pyre

Jaipur, July 26 (IANS) Piplodi village in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district plunged into deep sorrow on Saturday as six of the seven children who lost their lives in the tragic school building collapse were cremated together.

One child was taken to the nearby village of Chandpura Bhilan for the final rites. As the bodies of the six children arrived in Piplodi early in the morning, cries of anguish filled the air. The silence of mourning was broken by heart-wrenching screams, as grieving families and villagers gathered to bid farewell to the young souls.

In the presence of the Superintendent of Police and other administrative officials, the bodies were handed over to the families at 5:00 AM. From the Manohar Thana Hospital, the deceased were transported to their respective homes in separate vehicles. The atmosphere in the village turned chaotic with the arrival of the bodies, as sorrow gripped every household. Preparations for the cremation had begun even before the arrival of the bodies.

The remains were quickly taken to the cremation ground near the accident site under heavy police presence. A tragic moment unfolded as the bodies of siblings Kanha and Meena were carried together on a single bier. The final rites of all six children were performed at the cremation ground on five pyres. Fathers of the deceased lit the pyres, and as the flames rose, tears flowed freely.

The seventh child was cremated in Chandpura Bhilan village. The village of Piplodi is cloaked in grief and anger. In two families, the only child was lost, while in another, both children perished.

Most of the deceased were between 7 to 10 years old and belonged to families struggling with poverty. Many of the parents are daily wage labourers, now left shattered by the loss of their children.

In a compassionate gesture following the tragic collapse of a government school building in Jhalawar’s Manoharthana block, the Rajasthan government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh and a contractual job for the families of the seven children who lost their lives.

Additionally, classrooms in newly constructed school buildings will be named in memory of the deceased students. The devastating incident took place on Friday when a portion of the building at Piplodi Government School collapsed, leaving seven children dead and 21 others injured, of whom nine remain in critical condition.

Education and Panchayati Raj Minister Madan Dilawar visited the injured children at SRG Hospital in Jhalawar.

Dilawar said, "I take full responsibility for this incident."

Following a preliminary inquiry, the Education Department suspended five teachers, including the headmaster of the school.

Meanwhile, public outrage intensified after the incident. Villagers, protesting at Burari intersection in Manoharthana, pelted stones at police personnel, resulting in damage to police vehicles.

--IANS

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