The IIT Kharagpur fire broke out around 2:30 AM
A fire broke out in the early morning hours at the IIT Kharagpur campus’s Lal Bahadur Shastri Hall. The security personnel and firefighters immediately extinguished the fire, and no injuries were recorded.
The fire started in the hall’s common area, which was stacked high with mattresses, pillows, and personal belongings from students who had left college for the summer. The fire damaged these objects significantly, but all students and personnel were safely evacuated from the premises.
A committee has been constituted at the institution to investigate the cause of the incident. According to fire department sources, an electrical short circuit may have caused the fire, but a more complete investigation is underway.
Meral Hansda, an MTech student at the institute, expressed her relief on Twitter that everyone was okay. “I’m so glad that everyone is okay,” she wrote. “Thank you to the security team and firefighters for their quick response.”
Fire broke out in the common room of LBS HALL of IIT Kharagpur. Three fire brigade teams are handling the issue right now. As of now no casualties.#IIT_Kharagpur #Fire #Firebrigade #NEWS@IITKgp @westbengal @abpanandatv @Telegraph @MyAnandaBazar @BrutIndia pic.twitter.com/vlzpE5Q8iI
— Meral Hansda (@HansdaMeral) July 1, 2023
This incident should give more focus on fire safety. IIT Kharagpur has a stringent fire safety policy, however it is critical that everyone is aware of the risks and takes care to avoid fires.
We hope that the committee’s inquiry will throw light on the exact cause of the fire and that the appropriate steps will be taken to prevent similar events in the future.
Meanwhile, we are grateful to the security personnel and firefighters for their prompt response and assistance in keeping everyone safe.
