India: Seven children killed as school roof collapses

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At least seven children were killed and 26 others injured Friday after part of the roof and walls of a government-run school collapsed in western India, police said.

“Seven children have lost their lives so far and 26 others are injured,” Nand Kishore, a police officer in the state of Rajasthan, told AFP.

There were around 60 students, teachers and staff members in the single-storey building when the accident happened in Jhalawar district, some 322 kilometres (200 miles) from the state capital Jaipur.

Kishore said the structure collapsed when students were attending their classes early on Friday.

Villagers rushed to the site and rescued many injured children who were taken to the closest medical facilities.

Local media reports said the building was in a dilapidated condition and several complaints had been previously been raised about it.

It had also been raining heavily in the area over the past few days. Punch