A fire broke out at a coaching centre located near Batra Cinema in Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar on 15 June 23. The incident took place at the building near the Delhi University area at around 12 pm.
In several videos of the incident, men and women could be seen scrambling to escape from the third floor through windows as smoke billowed out of them. While some could be seen hanging on to window ledges, the others rappelled down using ropes.
Local residents and others could also be seen trying to support the students while they were sliding down. Some even tried to help them out with a ladder, which, however, could reach only a third of the building’s length.
No one is trapped inside the building. There were around 100 students in the centre of which 25-30 students were taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
It appears that the fire started in the electricity meter. Fire clearance of the building is being investigated.
Eleven fire tenders were used in firefighting. Delhi Fire Department said that all people have been rescued from the building and firefighting operation has been concluded.
The incident took place due to a fire in an electric meter at the third floor, as per Delhi Police. The police officials said after the smoke engulfed the building, children panicked and started descending from the back side of the building. Students got out of the building with the help of a rope. Four students also got injured due to this.
The Mukherjee Nagar area is a student hub where several coaching centres and paying guest facilities have come up over the past three decades.
The fire is a reminder of the importance of fire safety in educational institutions. Coaching centers and other educational institutions should have fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and evacuation plans in place. Students and staff should be trained on how to use these safety measures in the event of a fire.