Short-circuit in UPS facility room; students run for safety
Mysuru: Over 48 students were injured in a stampede when the fire broke out at Government Post-Matric Students Hostel for Girls in Vontikoppal here last evening.
The fire broke out at around 7 pm due to short-circuit in the UPS battery facility at the hostel.
As the news of the fire spread across the hostel, panic-stricken students ran for safety from the three-storied building, fell from stair case on one another and injured themselves. In the melee, some fell unconscious. As many as 270 students were staying at this hostel when the incident took place. Of the injured, 12 students were shifted to DRM Hospital, 20 were moved to Brindavan Hospital, while two seriously injured are availing treatment at an ICU. Few other students had received minor bruises.
On receiving information, V.V. Puram Police and two Firefighter Vehicles visited the spot and extinguished the fire along with the help of the localities. The firefighters also rescued some students trapped inside the hostel.
UPS room at the Government Post-Matric Students Hostel for Girls in Vontikoppal where fire broke out last evening
Learning about the incident, Chamaraja MLA L. Nagendra too arrived at the spot, helped to shift the injured students along with Hostel Warden Kamakshi.
As some students refused to stay in the hostel after the incident, the authorities have made arrangements for them to stay in the nearby Vocational Course Students Hostel.
Hostel Warden Kamakshi said that the students had complained that the power supply was disrupted in the first floor of the hostel building while the power supply was intact in the ground and second floor. Following complaints, the CHESCom linemen had repaired the power supply system in the first floor of the hostel last evening. Though the problem was fixed, fire broke out in UPS room. This will be rectified very soon, Kamaskhi said.
Injured students being treated at a private hospital.
Second fire incident
She added that this was the second fire incident occurring in the hostel. Earlier, students were panicked when the fire broke out from cooking gas cylinder last week.
However, all measures have been taken to restore the confidence of panic-stricken students and all injured students are being provided treatment at private hospitals, she said.
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The fire mishaps due to short-circuit can be avoided with proper usage of MCBs and RCCBs. Most places do not have such security measures. Even if they do, either they are not functional or over ampere-rated than what is need for the circuit.