Jaipur: In a tragic incident, three children lost their lives after a soil tunnel they had dug for play collapsed in Rajasthan’s Sikar district.

A fourth child survived and alerted the villagers, bringing the accident to light, police officials said on Tuesday.

According to police, Holash Meghwal (10), son of Nanuram Meghwal; Gautam Saini (14), son of Ratanlal Saini; and Dipesh Nayak (12), son of Bhanwarlal Nayak, along with their friend Krishna, were playing near a mound of soil about three to four feet high in a field.

The children had dug a tunnel beneath it and entered it while playing. Krishna remained outside, while the other three boys went inside.

Suddenly, the soil caved in, burying Holash, Gautam, and Dipesh under the debris. Krishna’s legs were partially trapped, but he managed to free himself and tried to rescue his friends.

Unable to pull them out, he raised an alarm, drawing nearby villagers to the spot. The incident occurred around 12:30 pm on Monday in Ganeri village, under the Nechhwa police station.

Villagers and police teams rushed to the scene and began rescue efforts. The soil was cleared, and the children were pulled out, but they had already died.

The tragedy has deepened the grief of already struggling families. Holash’s father had passed away a year ago, leaving the family in a weak financial condition.

Dipesh’s father had reportedly died by suicide around two years ago. Both Holash and Dipesh were students of a government school.

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has condoled the incident, praying for strength to the bereaved families.

The incident also highlights the vulnerability of children in rural areas, where unsupervised play near unsafe structures can lead to devastating consequences.