Fire Breaks Out in Kota Coaching Hostel, Half a Dozen Children Jump from Second-Third Floor

Kota,  A sense of panic engulfed the children residing in the Ideal Residency Hostel located in Laxman Vihar area of Kota city on Sunday morning as a fire broke out in the hostel. Flames spread up to all five floors of the hostel, filling the entire building with smoke. The children and their parents residing in the hostel were in a state of shock and distress. Half a dozen panicked children jumped from the second and third floors' balconies. As a result, two children were seriously injured. Eight children who were present in the hostel during the incident were admitted to the hospital. While half of them were discharged after receiving primary treatment, two children with serious injuries were admitted to a private hospital where they are currently undergoing treatment.

Chief Fire Officer Rakesh Vyas stated that they received information about the fire in the hostel at 6:30 am. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot immediately upon receiving the information. The fire broke out in the transformer located on the ground floor of the hostel and quickly spread throughout the entire building. The fire was brought under control in about half an hour. The children trapped in the hostel were evacuated. Some injured children were immediately admitted to the hospital.

A student residing in the hostel, Ayush, said that around 6:15 am, he came downstairs and saw that the transformer was on fire, and within moments, the fire had spread throughout the hostel. The children closed the doors of their rooms to prevent smoke from entering and rushed to the balcony. Some students also jumped downstairs, injuring themselves in the process. There were no firefighting equipment or alarms in the hostel. All the children were terrified after the incident.

Local resident Devendra Vaishnav said that when he came out in the morning, he saw smoke rising from the hostel. The children were screaming and trying to jump downstairs. He tried to stop them from jumping down, but despite his efforts, a dozen children jumped down one after another. The fire brigade arrived at the scene two hours after the incident.

All the children are safe. Two children sustained injuries to their hands, legs, and heads. SP Dr. Amrita Duhan informed that the fire broke out at around 6:15 am. There are 75 rooms in the five-story hostel, and currently, 61 children are staying there. After the fire incident, eight injured children were admitted to the hospital. While six of them were discharged after receiving primary treatment, two children with injuries to their hands, legs, and heads are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. The FSL team has been called to the scene, and an investigation into the causes of the fire is underway. Counseling for the distressed children is being arranged by the hostel association. Additionally, arrangements are being made to shift the children to other hostels and provide them with food. Police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.