A renowned private school of Ahmedabad has landed in a soup in its bid to cover up a fire incident on its premises. The school failed to inform parents and relevant authorities about the incident, leading to an uproar among parents concerned. To make matters worse, it labelled the fire as ‘mock drill’, which clearly it was not.
The school in question, Shanti Asiatic School, located in Shela area of the Gujarat capital, will meanwhile conduct online classes till the investigations are over.
The fire reportedly broke out in the primary section of the schools’ basement due to a short-circuit at the switchboard in the hallway. The school initially downplayed the incident, claiming that the blaze was minor and extinguished within five minutes.
However, parents, alerted by their children, confronted the school, demanding access to CCTV footage to verify the school’s version of events. Outraged by the lack of transparency, they expressed their frustration and lodged protest.
District Education Officer (Rural) Krupa Jha ordered an inquiry into the matter. “The school initially tried to conceal the fire incident by terming it a mock drill,” Jha stated. “Only after we reviewed CCTV footage did they acknowledge the fire. A short-circuit caused the blaze, leading to heavy smoke in the area. Although children were evacuated, panic ensued.”
As part of the investigation, local police and FSL teams are thoroughly examining the school campus. Jha emphasised negligence on the school’s part and pledged strict action against those responsible. State Education Minister Kuber Dindor is closely monitoring the situation.
School director Abhay Ghosh defended the school’s actions, asserting that the fire was minor and promptly controlled. “We are not hiding anything,” Ghosh stated. “The smoke exceeded the actual fire. There was some miscommunication about it being a mock drill. If parents feel we concealed information, we apologise.”
However, a show-cause notice from the District Primary Education Officer highlighted the school’s failure to report the incident. The notice warned of potential consequences under the RTE Act if the school did not provide a written explanation within two days.
Another parent accused the school management of hastily painting the affected room and changing the switchboard to mislead parents and officials. “We’ve heard four different versions of the incident,” the parent said. “CCTV footage clearly shows a fire in an AC room where students gather. Despite evacuation efforts, the management insisted it was a mock drill.” The incident has raised serious concerns about student safety and emergency preparedness at the school.
Many parents said that the fire started at two spots, on the second floor of the primary section and in the basement where dance classes were on.
Abhay Ghosh maintained the fire was only on the second floor of the primary section building. “The floor was vacated immediately.”
District primary education officer Gaurang Vyas said the school had been issued a show cause notice.
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