Madikeri, Oct. 9 (PS&BCT)- In a tragic incident, a seven-year-old boy was charred to death when a massive fire broke out early this morning at the hostel of Har Mandir Ashram School in Katakeri village, Madikeri taluk.

The victim, identified as Pushpak, a Class 2 student, was the son of Kekada Anil Kumar and Triveni, a farming couple from Chettimani village. Triveni also works as a guest teacher at the Kundacheri Government School.

The Ashram school, jointly run by two NGOs, offers free education to underprivileged children through cottage-style classrooms. It currently educates 102 students, of whom 53 reside in the hostel.

Two students and the hostel warden, who suffered from smoke inhalation, have been admitted to a hospital. Kodagu Deputy Commissioner (DC) Venkat Raja, who visited the spot, confirmed that they are out of danger.

Fire in wee hours

The fire reportedly broke out between 3 am and 4 am, rapidly engulfing the roof of the hostel building and spreading to the interiors. Despite the swift response from school staff and villagers, who managed to rescue 52 children, Pushpak was trapped inside and charred to death. His sister, who also studies in the same school, escaped unhurt.

Established in 2019, Har Mandir Ashram School provides education from Class 1 to Class 7. The school reopened on Oct. 6 after Dasara holidays, and 53 students — 30 boys and 23 girls — were residing in the hostel at the time, said Additional Superintendent of Police (SP) Barike Dinesh.

“We suspect a short circuit as the cause. The Fire Service Department and Police are jointly investigating. The 78-acre campus houses 25 staff members who live alongside the students. As soon as the fire was noticed, the staff and teachers banged on the hostel doors, asking the children to rush out. Everyone managed to escape except Pushpak, who was trapped inside,” the Additional SP said.

Firefighters and Madikeri Rural Police rushed to the scene and doused the flames. A post-mortem was conducted at the site and the body was handed over to the grieving parents.

Probe on, says DC

The tragedy has sparked widespread concern over safety protocols at residential schools. DC Venkat Raja said an investigation has been ordered to verify whether the institution had proper approvals from the Education Department and had adhered to safety norms in both residential and classroom sections.

“We will also examine the school’s intake permissions and compliance with all required norms,” he stated.

When asked about compensation to the bereaved family, the DC said the State Government would decide in this regard and that authorities have been apprised of the situation.

Senior officials, including DC Venkat Raja, Additional SP Barike Dinesh, Tahsildar Sridhar, the Block Education Officer and officials from Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC), visited the site for inspection. Authorities confirmed that a comprehensive probe is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire and fix accountability.