Twenty two students were killed and several others were injured when a massive blaze broke at the coaching centre in Sarthana area of Surat. Horrifying visuals of this tragic incidence showed some students jumping off the multi-storey building in an attempt to escape the inferno.
Fire broke out at Takshashila building when the students were attending tuition classes. Officials said at least 10 students on the third and fourth floors jumped to the ground to save themselves from the fire and smoke. An initial investigation suggests the fire was caused by a short-circuit. Flames roused from the ground floor and reached the top floor, forcing some students to take shelter on the terrace which was covered. Nineteen fire tenders and two hydraulic platforms were pressed into service to douse the fire and rescue those stuck inside the building, said an official of Surat fire control room. Local people also helped with the operation to save stranded students and other occupants of the building that house coaching classes and other establishments.
Expressing anguish, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote in his tweet, “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.”
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani visited the injured children in hospitals and expressed his grief for the deceased. Rupani, who ordered an investigation into the incident also ordered a fire safety audit of schools, colleges and coaching centres across the state.
Several leaders, including BJP chief Amit Shah, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani, Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Ashok Gehlot and Hardik Patel, also condoled the demise of the students.
