Bengaluru saw a major fire accident in the city today, where a fire broke out in a school building, and residents in Nagadevanahalli fled in panic, and emergency services rushed in instantly. The school building fire was seen erupting at Kousalya School, and smoke could be seen rising from the building.
The fire occurred under circumstances that were still not known, a police source said. Firefighters saw flames shooting out from parts of the school building, with the fire spreading quickly and consuming a large portion of the building, and the building was on fire when firefighters arrived, pictures from the site show.
Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries in the incident. The lack of students and staff at the time of the fire probably prevented a major tragedy. All people in the buildings and around the building were evacuated, and no lives were lost in the incident, the authorities said.
When the fire was reported, the Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services Department immediately sent three fire tenders to the scene. Firefighters tackled the flames to prevent them from spreading to nearby buildings and residential areas. The firefighting teams worked as hard as they could under challenging conditions, and smoke and heat from the fire made rescue and containment of the fire difficult.
Local police arrived on scene to manage the crowd and ensure public safety. Roads were closed around the school premises for fire engines to get in and for emergency workers to get in. Residents were advised to stay away from the site while the work was on.
There was a desire to control the fire and prevent further damage to buildings, officials said. Firefighters deployed water jets to cool the affected areas of the building and prevent the fire from spreading and extinguished the flames from spreading. Emergency teams were on high alert as pockets of fire continued to emerge from different parts of the building; the fire did not spread from the building.
The exact cause of the fire is still unknown, but authorities will conduct a deep investigation once it is out of the way. The fire department will investigate the premises, looking for electrical glitches, short circuits, or any other technical problem. Property damage is not yet accurately established.
The fire safety measures in schools are once again of paramount importance in order to save lives. Safety experts frequently stress the necessity of regular inspections of electrical systems, fire alarms, emergency exits, and firefighting equipment so as to minimise the risk and to be prepared in case of an emergency.
Nagadevanahalli residents were relieved that nobody died in the incident, but were concerned about the increase in urban fire accidents. Many said schools and other public buildings need to undergo stronger safety inspections and preventive measures, and that they must be adequately fortified.
A firefighting operation will continue, and authorities will give more details as to what caused the fire and how much damage was done to the school. So far, the quick response of emergency personnel has saved the school from a potentially catastrophic disaster.
