22 students died in a fire on 24 May …

22 students died in a fire on 24 May 2019. If this had occurred in the UK, this would have been huge news.

Lots of underlying causes:

• lack of automatic fire detection
• lack of fire fighting equipment
• single wooden staircase
• inappropriate storage

The fire occurred at a commercial complex (Takshashila Arcade) in Surat in India. A coaching centre (Smart Design Studio) was operating in a makeshift dome built on the terrace of the main building. The fire (due to an electrical short circuit on the Ground Floor) broke out in the late afternoon of 24 May. The fire spread quickly, engulfing the third floor and the makeshift dome. It is understood that there were about 50 – 70 students in the coaching centre at the time. Two shops and several vehicles parked near the building were also destroyed in another fire ignited by the blaze.

The fire brigade arrived with 19 fire engines and two hydraulic platforms. They doused the fire in an hour and rescued several students; however, several had jumped off the building to save themselves.

A total of 22 students died: 18 girls and 4 boys, aged between 15 and 22. Of these:

• 16 died due to fire or asphyxiation
• 3 died when they jumped from the building
• 3 succumbed to their fire injuries later in hospital

A further 16 students were admitted to hospital; a small child was also hospitalised with burn injuries.

The legality of the structure has been investigated. Three people including the coaching centre owner and builders were arrested and the complaints against them were filed by the police.