Fire breaks out in a private school in Tirunelveli, no casualty reported

As many as 15 personnel from the Fire and Rescue service and two fire engines from Palayamkottai rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire, which lasted nearly an hour, Station Fire Officer, U Ramesh, told DT Next.

The fire had broken out in the store room of the school and soon spread to the adjacent smart classroom, as a result of which, some notebooks, wooden racks and a few other materials were destroyed.

Noticing the thick smoke billowing out from the room, the panic-stricken students had fled the school premises and taken shelter in a nearby building. On information, many of the parents visited the school and collected their children. The school administration later declared a holiday, according to sources.

As panic spread across the surrounding areas, the roads close to the school became congested as scores of vehicles including cars, vans and autorickshaws were stuck in traffic.

Thereafter, Tirunelveli Collector, Shilpa Prabhakar Satish, along with officials from the Department of Education inspected the spot. She said, a report was sought from the school principal to know the exact cause of the fire.

The Collector said, all schools across the district would be checked to ensure whether all necessary fire safety equipment were functional. Action would be taken against the school administration if necessary safety precautions were not in place, she warned.