Jaisalmer schools, anganwadis shut till July 31 after Poonam Nagar’s school gate collapse

JAISALMER: Jaisalmer schools and anganwadi centers have been ordered to shut down temporarily from July 29 to July 31 due to the Poonam Nagar school gate collapse incident.

Based on the recommendation received from the Chief District Education Officer (Samagra Shiksha), Jaisalmer, the district administration has declared a holiday for students in all government and private schools, including all Anganwadi centres of Jaisalmer district, from July 29 to July 31.

During this period, the school and anganwadi buildings will undergo thorough inspections, focusing on the structural stability of the buildings, entrance gate, toilets, boundary wall, roof, and other physical facilities. The concerned departments have been directed to complete the inspection work in a timely and serious manner and submit the necessary report to the district administration.

Moreover, the Director of Secondary Education, Bikaner, Sitaram Jat, also issued orders late at night for the suspension of Acting Principal Suman Bala for his negligence in this school incident.

On Monday, a nine-year-old boy lost his life in a tragic incident at a school in Poonam Nagar, Jaisalmer, when the main gate collapsed due to its dilapidated condition. According to District Collector Pratap Singh Nathawat, the boy was at the school to pick up his sister. The incident also left a girl with head injuries and a teacher with a leg fracture.

Nathawat, while speaking to mediapersons, confirmed that another girl got multiple injuries on her head and a teacher got a fracture in the leg due to the collapse of the gate.

#WATCH | Rajasthan: Jaisalmer District Collector Pratap Singh Nathawat says, “In Poonam Nagar, we received information that a boy died, a girl got multiple injuries on her head and face, and a teacher got a fracture in the leg due to the collapse of the main gate of a school,… pic.twitter.com/uakWaqon0A

— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2025

“In Poonam Nagar, we received information that a boy died, a girl got multiple injuries on her head and face, and a teacher got a fracture in the leg due to the collapse of the main gate of a school, which was in a dilapidated condition”, DM Nathawat said.

He further said that orders have been given to suspend the Gram Vikas Adhikari with immediate effect. “Immediately, all the officials of the administration reached the spot… The child who died had come to the school to pick up his sister. The Gram Vikas Adhikari was informed about the condition of the gate. Orders have been given to suspend the Gram Vikas Adhikari with immediate effect. The state government is with the family in this hour of grief, and as per the rules of the state government, we will provide all possible help from the administration,” he added.

Congress leader Tika Ram Jully on Monday slammed the government over the gate collapse in Poonamnagar and described the incident as “heart-wrenching.” “The news of a tragic incident in Poonamnagar, Jaisalmer, where the collapse of a government school’s entrance gate led to the death of an innocent student and severe injuries to a teacher, is extremely saddening and heart-wrenching. I express my deep condolences to the grieving family and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured teacher”, he said in a post on X.

The Congress leader further urged Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma to take immediate notice of this issue and ensure a safety inspection of all school buildings across the state, as well as promptly arrange for repairs wherever the condition of the buildings is found to be poor.

“The buildings of government schools in the state are in a dilapidated condition. The occurrence of such an incident again, following the tragedy in Jhalawar, is a matter of serious concern for the state government. I urge the Chief Minister to take immediate notice of this issue and ensure a safety inspection of all school buildings across the state, as well as promptly arrange for repairs wherever the condition of the buildings is found to be poor”, he added.

The incident happened days after the collapse of the roof of a school in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar that claimed the lives of seven students. The roof collapse happened at Piplodi Primary School in Jhalawar district on Friday morning. Following the incident, the Rajasthan government has decided to prioritise the repair of dilapidated school buildings, government institutions, and Anganwadi centres across the state. (ANI)