7 children killed, 30 injured as portion of school building collapses in India's Rajasthan

NEW DELHI -- At least seven children were killed and 30 others injured Friday morning after a portion of a government-run school building collapsed in India's western state of Rajasthan, officials said.

There are fears that some children may be trapped under the debris.

The school building collapsed at Peeplodi Government School in Manohar Thana area of Jhalawar district, about 412 km south of Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan.

"Today in Peeplodi village of Jhalawar district, in an unfortunate incident, the roof of a school building collapsed, leading to the death of seven children so far. Many others are also reported injured in this accident," Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa told the media.

The injured have been removed to different hospitals, and some were referred to the district hospital in Jhalawar. Officials said of the injured, the condition of some was stated to be critical, as two have been kept in an intensive care unit.

According to police, the roof and a wall of a single-storey building collapsed when the school began, and children were streaming in.

Police officials said it was difficult for them to say exactly how many were present inside the school when it collapsed. The rescue efforts at the school are underway.