Student Dies, Three Injured in Midnight Darul Uloom Fire in South Kashmir’s Anantnag
Anantnag, May 12, KNT: A 12-year-old student was killed and three others injured after a midnight fire broke out at Faizan Baba Hyder Rishi Darul Uloom near Old Mattan Adda in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, officials and locals said on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Bilal Ahmad, son of Mohammad Akbar, a resident of Wadwan. Officials said the boy sustained critical injuries during the incident and later succumbed at Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag.
The fire broke out during the night while around 40 students were present inside the Darul Uloom building, triggering panic among students and residents in the area.
Officials told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that the top floor of the seminary, where students were staying, was completely gutted in the blaze. Bags, clothes, bedding material, boxes and other belongings of students were reduced to ashes.
The fire caused extensive damage to the wooden flooring of the building where the fatal incident occurred.
Three injured students were shifted to hospital and are currently undergoing treatment, officials said.
The exact cause of the fire was not immediately known, and authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
Locals alleged that fire extinguishing equipment installed inside the building remained unused during the incident. Some cylinders and firefighting equipment found at the site were later sealed by authorities as part of the investigation.
Senior Superintendent of Police Anantnag Amod Ashok Nagpure visited both the affected Darul Uloom and GMC Anantnag to enquire about the condition of the injured students.
The incident triggered widespread grief across the district, with people from different sections of society visiting the seminary and expressing solidarity with the victims and management.
Among those who visited the affected site were Mehboob Beg, Hilal Shah and religious scholar Maulana Dawoodi.
Locals, members of civil society, traders and businessmen also pledged support for restoration of the damaged institution and assistance to affected students.
Further investigation into the cause of the fire is underway. [KNT]
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