150 students evacuated after fire at coaching centre in Sadar

Nagpur: Around 150 students attending classes at Bansal Pathshala for competitive exams like IIT-JEE, NEET and MHT-CET had a narrow escape after a fire broke out at an electricity meter unit on the first floor of the two-storey commercial complex on Mount Road in Sadar on Wednesday afternoon.The incident occurred while classes were in progress. According to Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) technician Satish Paradkar, who inspected the site along with a team, preliminary inquiry suggests that spark in the meter unit - possibly due to excessive electrical load - triggered the fire.As soon as the fire was noticed, the institute management acted promptly and evacuated all students through an alternate staircase on the other side of the building, ensuring there was no panic or injury. Eyewitnesses said the evacuation was orderly and completed within minutes.Shop owner Manish Rathi, who has establishments on the ground floor, rushed to assist staff in dousing the flames. The fire was contained before it could spread further, with at least four fire extinguishers used to douse the blaze.Shubham Bansal of the institute said staff had in the morning noticed unusual crackling sounds coming from the meter unit, located above the staircase. "A couple of hours later, sparks increased and the unit caught fire," he said.Bansal maintained that the coaching centre is operating with all necessary permissions and added that the building is equipped with rooftop solar panels, with a generation capacity of 14 MW against a sanctioned load of 18 MW. Staff also noted that several electrical appliances, including air conditioners, had been switched off due to heavy usage.As the fire was brought under control internally, no official call was made to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation's fire and emergency services department.