Latehar: At least 25 girls narrowly avoided disaster when a fire erupted in a hostel room at a residential school in Jharkhand's Latehar district on Monday morning, authorities reported.
The blaze, which was discovered at approximately 6 am, destroyed the beds and study materials of students at the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Bariyatu, according to a senior official.
A fire engine was deployed, and it took over an hour to extinguish the flames, the official stated.
"With the assistance of locals and students, the fire brigade personnel managed to get the situation under control. All 20-25 occupants of the hostel were outside for physical training when the fire started. Preliminary findings indicate that a short circuit may have triggered the fire," said Ranjan Kumar Paswan, the officer in charge of Bariyatu police station.
District Education Officer (DEO) Prince Kumar mentioned that an investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
"We are conducting a detailed examination of the electrical connections in the building to prevent a recurrence of such incidents," he said.
The school authorities noted that a total of 221 girls reside in the hostel.
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