Uttarakhand: Fire At Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya, Close Shave For Students, Staff

Many students of Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya were asleep when fire broke out inside a hall early this morning. Some students ran out of the room while others were safely evacuated. Quilts, mattresses, clothes and sports equipment stored in the hall were gutted in the fire.

Gairsain (Uttarakhand):Students and staff of Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya in Gairsain town of Uttarakhand's Chamoli district had a narrow escape after a massive fire broke out in a hall of the residential school on Thursday, police said. It is suspected that the fire was triggered by a short circuit.

Many students were sleeping when the incident occurred early this morning. They were woken up by the choking smell of smoke and ran outside the building to save themselves.

It has been learnt that the fire broke out in the storage section of a hall, which was partitioned into four parts by tin and fibre. While students sleep in three parts, the fourth part is used for storing quilts, mattresses and sports equipment. The fire gutted the hall in no time, causing chaos in the entire school.

The school management informed the Gairsain police station and the fire department about the incident. It is suspected that the fire was caused due to short circuit. There were around 50 students and staff members in the school when the incident happened. Fortunately, all the students were safely evacuated from the hall, school management said.

The fire brigade, local police and administration teams reached the spot and the flames were doused. Quilts, clothes, bags and sports equipment of the students that were stored in the hall have been burnt to ashes.

Gairsain sub-inspector Sumit Kumar said, "As soon as information about the fire was received, our men and a fire team reached the spot. The fire was brought under control after hours of effort. It has been reported that a short circuit led to the fire."

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