Gujarat: Two children die after wall collapses in Ratanpur

Sabarkantha, June 30 (IANS) In Ratanpur village of Khedbrahma taluka of Gujarat, a mud wall collapsed, leading to the death of two children and leaving another seriously injured.

According to initial reports, the region has been receiving incessant rainfall for over a fortnight, which has weakened structures made of traditional materials like mud and clay.

A mud wall of a house gave way due to the rain-soaked ground and collapsed on three children who were near the structure at the time. Local sources confirm that two children, a boy and a girl under the age of 7, lost their lives on the spot. A third child, who sustained serious injuries, has been shifted to a nearby hospital for urgent treatment.

Kheroj police have initiated an investigation into the incident.

Authorities are assessing the damage and reviewing the structural conditions of similar homes in the area to prevent further tragedies.

Gujarat is also facing an infrastructure challenge: as of March 2023, 2,433 gram panchayats across the state are without buildings or occupy structures deemed dilapidated, with 402 additional repair or construction requests pending.

The crisis is particularly acute in Vadodara district, which records 267 affected panchayats, followed by Banaskantha (225), Bhavnagar (185), Amreli (122), Surendranagar (116), Surat (115), Sabarkantha (112), and Anand (107). This poor state of infrastructure places nearly 94 per cent of Gujarat’s 14,618 panchayats in a Grade B category, reflecting limited facilities and structural neglect.

In urban areas, the situation mirrors rural distress with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) identifying 261 dangerous buildings along the Rath Yatra route in 2024 and currently lists 292 dilapidated or unsafe structures, a rise from 109 in 2021–22 to 292 in 2023.

Recently, in Shahibaug, a portion of a structurally weak three-story building collapsed, triggering an emergency rescue that saved 16 occupants, including children and senior citizens; no casualties were reported.

Following that incident, AMC has ordered structural assessments and potential demolitions ahead of the monsoon season to curb further threats.

--IANS

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