Tragedy strikes Udaipur as a school building suddenly collapses, killing a teenage girl and sparking immediate panic. Rescue workers are on site now, digging through the rubble in a frantic search for any others caught in the debris. This heartbreaking event brings into sharp focus the alarming state of school building safety, a crisis threatening young lives across the city. As families mourn, local officials face urgent questions about building standards and inspections. The collapse shines a harsh light on dangers children face daily in old or poorly built school structures, leaving parents across the region deeply worried for their own kids’ safety.
A Sad Day in Udaipur Village
On Friday, August 15, 2025, a terrible event took place in Patharpadi village, near Kotra, in Udaipur district. A part of an under-construction school building fell down. This sad incident led to the death of a young girl. The victim, 12-year-old Moli, was killed when a balcony of the PM Shri Government Higher Primary School collapsed. Another girl, 11-year-old Payal, was also hurt and had to be taken to a hospital in Gujarat for treatment.
Details of the Event
The two girls were not students of the school. Moli was visiting her uncle in the village. On the morning of the accident, she was near the school, possibly walking past or playing, when the balcony suddenly collapsed. Eyewitnesses said that the accident happened because the filling of the lintel was not done right and the wooden supports (shuttering) were removed too soon. The school building was being renovated under the PM Shri scheme, which aims to make old school buildings better. Construction work for the school had started in February and was supposed to finish by August 5. it was not yet done.
Immediate Actions and Investigations
After the collapse, local people showed their anger, saying that poor quality materials were used in building the school. They asked for strict action against those responsible for the tragedy. Police officials have promised villagers that they will look into the matter to find out why the building fell and who is to blame. The education department acted quickly. They suspended acting Assistant Engineer Hem Singh and ended the work of a civil consultant. They held these people responsible for not doing their job well. Orders have also been given to file a police report against the contractor company, M/s Divyanshi Enterprises, because of mistakes in their construction work.
“It is a tragic incident. One girl who was not a student at the school has died, while another girl, who was, is critically injured. I have asked the authorities to inquire about the matter,” said School Education Minister Madan Dilawar.
The Minister stated that his department took immediate notice of the matter and a high-level investigation is now underway.
Concerns about School Safety
This event in Udaipur is not the first of its kind in the region. There have been other similar sad incidents in government schools recently. Last month, seven children died when a school roof fell in Jhalawar. Also, a few days later, one child died and two others were hurt when a school gate fell in Jaisalmer. On the same day as the Udaipur accident, a false ceiling in a private school in Bundi also fell, hurting five people. These repeated incidents have brought up serious questions about the safety of school buildings and how well they are built. Many people are asking why qualified engineers were not in charge of watching the construction work for the school. Instead, a teacher and a contract worker were given this job. But, an official, Udaipur ADPC Nanihal Singh, said that both officials had engineering diplomas and were sent by higher authorities.
Rules for Building Safety
India has clear rules and guidelines for school building safety. These rules are put in place by different government bodies to make sure schools are safe places for children.
- National Building Code (NBC) – 2016: This code has rules for fire and general safety in school buildings. It says how wide emergency roads should be, where fire exits and extinguishers should be. that there should be ramps for people with disabilities.
- NCPCR Guidelines: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has specific rules for safe school environments. These include checking the background of all staff, having cameras in common areas. having strong boundary walls.
- CBSE Affiliation Bye-Laws: Schools connected to CBSE must get safety certificates for their buildings and fire safety. They also need to have clean drinking water and good toilets.
Government guidelines also talk about checking school buildings regularly for safety. This includes checking for fire safety and making plans for what to do in an emergency. There are also guidelines to help reduce risks in school buildings and strengthen old ones.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (now Ministry of Education) issued guidelines in 2014, stating that school buildings should be strong, able to withstand all weather. safe from earthquakes and fire. These guidelines emphasize that children are more likely to get hurt and less able to react during a disaster.
The Path Forward
The tragic death of the teenage girl in Udaipur highlights the urgent need to make sure that school buildings are truly safe. The series of collapses in different parts of the state shows that there might be bigger problems with how building projects are overseen and how rules are followed. Local communities are demanding that the government take strong steps to prevent such events from happening again. This includes making sure that building quality is high and that all safety rules are strictly followed in every school construction or repair project. Investigations are ongoing. the community waits for answers and lasting changes to keep children safe. 
