Madikeri, Aug 10: A seven-year-old boy studying in a charitable educational institution was burnt to death in a fire incident at a school in Kodagu. The accident occurred due to a suspected short circuit at Har Mandir School of CGSIES in Katakeri village of Madikeri taluk. The victim, Pushpak, hailing from Chettimani village in the district, is the deceased.
Pushpak, son of farmer Anil Kumar and Triveni, was a class 2 student at the residential school. He had returned to school two days ago after completing the Dussehra vacation along with 52 other students. All 53 students were staying at the institution's residential facility. Around 4 am on Thursday, the school building was filled with thick smoke and a student who woke up opened the windows of his room.
A student who noticed the building on fire informed others in the boarding facility. The school staff, including the warden, took the students to a safe place. Meanwhile, the warden also jumped out of the window as thick smoke filled the rooms of the building.
However, when the staff counted the number of students, Pushpak was found missing. As the building was burning heavily and was covered in smoke, the fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot but Pushpak could not be found. While extinguishing the fire, the fire brigade rescue personnel found Pushpak's charred body lying in the boarding facility.
DC Venkat Raja and other officers visited the spot and inspected the accident. "A proper investigation will be conducted. It is suspected that a short circuit could have been the cause of the accident," the DC said. He said that the institution's licenses and other safety guidelines will also be checked during the investigation.
The victim's sister Sinchana, a student of class 6 in the same school, was appealing to her brother to be rescued. It was difficult to console her and Pushpak's parents, who rushed to the spot. "My son loved school very much. After the news of the school reopening after the Dussehra vacation, he was eager to come back. We dropped him off on Sunday. He insisted on joining the same school as his sister. He was interested in sports and was very creative," said Pushpak's mother Triveni.
Har Mandir School, CGSIES, is a charitable institution functioning under the aegis of Indus Quality Foundation Vice Foundation (based in New Delhi). The school was established in 2019 in Katakeri village and currently has 102 students studying from classes 1 to 7. The students come from economically weaker backgrounds and are provided free Gurukul-style education. Out of the 102 students, 72 students have opted for boarding facilities. However, after the Dussehra vacation, 53 students returned to the boarding facility and others were expected to return soon.
The school management has assured support to the victim's family. The DC confirmed that a report will be sent to the state seeking compensation for the victim's family. Meanwhile, since Pushpak's body was charred and charred, his body parts have been taken for post-mortem. His body was wrapped in a cloth and handed over to the family.