Surat, May 24, 2019: At least 20 students were killed on May 24 after a massive fire broke out at a coaching center in Gujarat’s Surat.
Videos posted by witnesses on social media showed several students jumping out of windows on the top floor of the building to escape the blaze.
Most students are said to be between the ages of 14 and 17. Disturbing visuals showed people on the pavement asking the students to jump off the burning building, hoping to catch them. It is not clear if any of the students who jumped, survived.
The fire, which broke out at around 3:30 pm, engulfed the top two floors of the multi-story commercial building called Takshashila Complex in the Sarthana area of Surat, officials said. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire.
Huge plumes of smoke covered the area. Local residents were seen helping in the rescue operation.
A fire official said 19 fire engines were sent in to control the fire. “Students on fourth and third floor jumped off to the ground to save themselves from fire and smoke. Many have been rescued and sent to hospital. The operation to douse the fire is on,” the fire official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed anguish over the tragedy.
Extremely anguished by the fire tragedy in Surat. My thoughts are with bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly. Have asked the Gujarat Government and local authorities to provide all possible assistance to those affected,” the prime minister tweeted.
An investigation has been ordered into the incident and the state government has promised to give 400,000 rupees to each of the families of those killed.
Fire safety in India is often neglected leading to devastating tragedies with alarming frequency. More than 17,000 people died in fires in 2015 alone, according to government data, the last year for which figures are available, one of the largest causes of accidental death in the country.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said about 16 children are under treatment in Surat hospital.
Unidentified sources told ndtv.com that short-circuit caused the fire. There were more than 50 students in the tuition class when the tragedy occurred, the sources added.
(Source: ndtv.com)