Middle school gutted in midnight Kulgam blaze

Devsar (Kulgam), July 15: Two structures of Government Middle School Brinal Lammer in the Devsar zone of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district were severely gutted in a fire that broke out during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, officials said.Officials from the Fire and Emergency Services Department said they received information about the blaze at around 11:16 PM, after which fire tenders from both Qazigund and Kulgam were rushed to the remote village to control the flames.“Roofing, ceiling, furniture, computers, and school records were among the items severely damaged,” an official said. “The fire was brought under control, and further damage to nearby properties was prevented.” A local teacher said the school had four structures. Three of them were damaged in the fire, including the one housing the office block. He added that one structure housed the school office, another block had two classrooms, and both of these structures were gutted completely. “The third block also suffered partial damage during the fire-extinguishing operation,” he said.“The school was established in 1972 and was upgraded to a middle school in 2004,” he added. “We still have one structure with a few rooms, which will now be used to accommodate the primary classes.” Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Devsar, Ghulam Nabi Dar, said officials visited the school soon after the incident to take stock of the situation and make necessary arrangements for students.He said elementary classes have been shifted to a nearby Government High School to ensure routine classwork is not disrupted, while the undamaged structure within the school premises will house the primary classes.There are also apprehensions that official records of the school may have been lost in the fire, the ZEO said, confirming that the damaged structures were gutted severely. “We have taken up the matter with the police, and an investigation has been initiated. In addition, the Chief Education Officer (CEO) Kulgam has formed a departmental committee to probe the incident. The cause of the fire is still under investigation,” he said. The school has around 150 students enrolled for the current academic session.