10-year-old girl dies in Khammam hostel fire

HYDERABAD: A 10-year-old class IV student died in a fire at Government SC Girls Hostel at NSP Colony in

Khammam

on Sunday night. Fire personnel and police suspect a short circuit may have triggered the blaze at the government-run facility.


Around 11.45pm, hostel caretaker Laxmi heard the sound of a tube light bursting at hostel ‘B’. Within minutes, smoke engulfed the room where 17 girls were fast asleep. Laxmi screamed for help and local youth, who saw smoke billowing from the hostel, pulled out the girls. The lone victim was identified as B Spandana, a class IV student of Government Primary School near NSP Colony.

Though the number of boarders at Hostel-B was 105, most students had gone home for three-day ‘home-sick’ holiday. On Sunday night, only 35 students were at the hostel — 17, including Spandana, in the ill-fated room, sleeping on bunker beds.

“Spandana slept on the top level of the bunker bed near the wall at the end of the room. It appears that sparks from a tube light which burst fell on the mattresses near her and it caught fire. All the girls were asleep and soon the room was filled with smoke. Hostel caretaker Laxmi who was in the verandah saw the smoke and screamed for help. Alerted by her screams, local youth rushed to the hostel and brought out the girls,” Khammam II Town circle inspector (CI) R Narender said.

The youngsters also alerted police and

fire department

. “By the time we reached, most girls got out of the room with the help of locals and police personnel. Four girls were still inside, trapped in the smoke. We brought three of them out. Initially, we could not locate Spandana. When we went in again with dragon lights, she was found in a corner of the room, charred to death by then. Her face and hands got burnt. The main switch of Hostel-B was in Hostel-A, it took us some time to locate the switch and turn it off before we could extinguish the fire,” Khammam station fire officer Ch Rajaiah said.

Spandana’s father Sanjeev is a truck driver and her family stays at Bokkalagadda in Khammam. Spandana’s elder brother is a boarder too at nearby Government SC Boys Hostel.

Deputy director of social welfare department, Khammam, K Satyanarayana said after the summer vacation hostel electricity wiring and connections were inspected. “There were no loose wires. We are also surprised how this accident occurred as the electric circuit breakers had not tripped. After preliminary inquiry, hostel warden G Vinoda was suspended. Laxmi was also removed from service and assistant social welfare officer A Srilatha was issued a show cause notice,” Satyanarayana added.

Khammam police commissioner Tafseer Iqubal said local youth Venkata Sai, Veerababu, Venkata Rao, Karthik, Gopi and Rama Rao had helped police in rescuing the girls and they would be duly appreciated. “A few girls who were in shock were shifted to hospital and they were discharged after first aid. No student suffered injuries,” the commissioner said.

Khammam II Town police have registered a case under CrPC Section 174 (suspicious death). “Samples were collected from the spot and sent to forensic lab to know cause of the accident. Based on forensic, post-mortem examination, reports from fire and electricity department, we will alter the case, if necessary,” the inspector said.