22 students injured as fire breaks out at IAS coaching center

 


An IAS teaching center in Mukherjee Nagar, Northwest Delhi, experienced scenes of panic and confusion on Thursday as a fire broke out inside the structure, prompting some students to abseil down using ropes and wires in an effort to escape. Officials reported that at least 22 pupils were hurt.

Atul Garg, the head of Delhi Fire Services (DFS), reported that around 12:27 pm, they received a fire call from the Gyana building in Mukherjee Nagar. It took nearly two hours for firemen to put out the fire and conduct rescue operations after 11 fire tenders were hurriedly dispatched to the scene.

Three to four divisions of the Sanskriti IAS center are housed in the three-story structure, which also has a ground floor and a basement, along with a number of business offices.

The primary electricity board is located on the bottom floor, according to officials, where the fire started. Officials claimed that a short circuit in the board was the most likely cause of the incident. Then, smoke began to ascend to the upper floors.

In an effort to immediately escape the smoke, a number of students smashed the window grills. They then either descended using ropes and AC wires or by jumping from the windows.

In addition to the rescue effort led by the fire department, a number of residents and students from the same IAS center assisted those trapped outside by setting up ropes, blankets, and water bottles or by merely throwing their bags on the ground as a landing cushion.

"When I saw thick smoke billowing from the building, I and a few other students went inside the center," recalled Aman, a student at the center who was outside the building when the fire started. "We helped a few students get out by breaking window grills with a hammer and climbing down using ropes that a few of us had arranged from local shops."

Another student, Pawan, who claimed to have saved at least five other students, continued, "We had problems breathing and could not see anything because of the dense, black smoke. However, we managed to set up ropes, water bottles, and blankets so students could safely escape before the firefighters came.

The injured have been sent to Bara Hindu Rao Hospital with burns to their arms, necks, and legs. A probe is being conducted, according to DFS Chief Garg, to find out if the structure has a fire NOC.

Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister, described the situation as "very unfortunate" and tweeted that while some children had sustained minor injuries while attempting to flee, everyone else was safe. There's no need to panic; the fire brigade has the fire under control. At the location, the district administration is also present.

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