Fire dept finds safety gaps at coaching inst after 150 students escape unharmed Nagpur: Days after nearly 150 students narrowly escaped a fire at Bansal Pathshala on Mount Road in Sadar on May 6, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation's fire and emergency services department uncovered significant deficiencies in the building's fire safety infrastructure during an inspection on May 7. The findings have raised serious concerns about the safety of students attending crowded coaching institutes across the city. The fire, which broke out on May 6, was triggered by sparking in an electric meter unit allegedly due to excessive electrical load. The incident occurred during class hours, causing panic among students. Despite the chaos, all 150 students were evacuated safely through an alternate staircase. Fire extinguishers were used to contain the flames before emergency teams arrived. However, the subsequent inspection revealed alarming gaps in the building's fire safety measures. According to a notice issued to the building owner under the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, officials found that essential fire safety systems were either missing or in disrepair. The inspection highlighted the absence of critical equipment such as ABC-type fire extinguishers on multiple floors. Additionally, systems like hose reels, hose boxes with branch pipes, wet riser/downcomer arrangements, and manual call points were not present. The building also lacked a two-way fire service inlet, a vital component for firefighting operations. While a rooftop water tank and a 900-LPM fire pump were available, the overall fire preparedness of the premises was deemed insufficient for a building housing large numbers of students daily.#nagpur #nagpur_municipal_corporation #bansal_pathshala #mount_road
