School fire guts four classrooms; Holiday averts tragedy

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinjagar

A fire broke out at Excellent International English School in Murumkheda, Ladsawangi, on Sunday morning, destroying four classrooms, computers, and other school materials. Fortunately, no one was present as it was a holiday. The school has 219 students.

The private school, located near Mhasoba Phata on Karmad Road and about 100 metres from the main road, allegedly violates building regulations and uses large amounts of fibre and plastic materials in its structure. Residents noticed smoke around 9.30 am and tried to control the fire, but the plastic and fibre structures intensified the blaze. Firefighters later brought the situation under control. Initial estimates place the loss at around Rs 5 lakh. Parents expressed anger over alleged negligence, claiming the school lacked adequate water supply and firefighting equipment, and demanded action. Police suspect the fire may have been caused by a short circuit. Ladsawangi beat officers Prabhakar Jadhav and Raju Maher inspected the site.

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“The school is located behind a forest department hill. Due to wind, the fire from that side spread toward the school. Most play materials were plastic, though the structure includes brick walls and iron furniture. The intensity of the fire prevented entry despite the presence of firefighting equipment. If it had not been a holiday, it could have been controlled earlier. The school will remain closed for 15 days,” said Uttam Thombre, school director.

Forest department response

“The hill itself did not catch fire. The blaze reached the school and ignited window frames. Nearby waste also caught fire and began spreading toward the hill, which our staff quickly extinguished,” said Nirmala Bahure, forest officer, Ladsawangi division.