Watch: Delhi students’ dramatic escape from fire at coaching centre

Watch: Delhi students’ dramatic escape from fire at coaching centre

A fire broke out at a coaching centre in New Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar on Thursday (June 15). A dramatic video of the incident captures students sliding down one by one from a wire to escape from the room on the top floor where the fire broke out. The fire department has safely evacuated the students and confirmed no casualty has been reported.

Police said the fire broke out at 12:30 pm in an electricity meter, causing students to panic and rappel down from the back side of the coaching centre. The panic ensued due to smoke emanating from the equipment. The students hang for life as the fire breaks out. A girl can be spotted jumping out of the window and landing on the top of an air conditioner on the floor below. Another student is seen throwing his bag down. Locals try to hold the students as they slide down. Some tried to put up a long ladder that only reached a limited part of the building. 

Delhi Fire Service director Atul Garg said the call informing about the fire was made to the department at 12:27 pm. 

Delhi Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) said several students attempted to jump out of the window and that 3-4 of them received minor injuries. However, he confirmed that no major damage was reported. 

The injured students and those who suffered suffocation from the smoke were rushed to Bara Hindu Rao Hospital in the capital. Eleven fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Officials helped the students escape from the site of the incident and get away from danger. 

The Delhi Fire Department said the cause of the fire is unknown and that everyone has been evacuated from the building. The fire-fighting operation has been concluded.

“All people have been rescued from the building and the fire fighting operation has been concluded. So far, no major injuries have been reported,” the Delhi Fire Department said.

Mukherjee Nagar is home to several coaching centers, especially ones that teach students to prepare for the prestigious civil services exam. 

The police are trying to ascertain if the building has a no-objection certificate and license to operate from the fire department and the municipal corporation, mandatory for all buildings where commercial activities are carried out. 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, meanwhile, said the incident was very “unfortunate”.

“Some students have suffered minor injuries while trying to escape. The rest are safe. There is no need to panic. The fire has been brought under control by the fire department. The district administration is also present at the spot,” the Delhi CM posted on Twitter.