Ahmedabad: Students in the primary section of Shanti Asiatic School, Bopal, were evacuated following a fire in an AC unit that caused widespread panic and fear as smoke filled a classroom. The incident has outraged parents, as the school has claimed before the District Education Officer that it was merely a mock fire evacuation.
In protest of the school’s stance, many parents have decided not to send their children to school today.
The incident occurred between 2:00 pm and 2:30 pm on Thursday. Students were evacuated and assembled on the school grounds, later returning home to report the chaos to their parents. One parent said, “My son informed me about witnessing the smoke coming into the class. He told me that teachers took them out and some students were crying in panic.”
અમદાવાદઃ વાલીઓના વિરોધ વચ્ચે શાંતિ એશિયાટિક સ્કૂલની મનમાની
— NewsCapital Gujarat (@NewsCapitalGJ) July 12, 2024
બાળકોની ચિંતાને બદલે ઘટનાને છૂપાવવા સ્કૂલ સંચાલકો વ્યસ્ત#Ahmedabad #Shela #AsiaticSchool #Fire #Students #FireSafety #GujaratiNews #NewsCapitalGujarat #JaneCheGujarat pic.twitter.com/eCr6Y3rgVz
Another parent reported that a child’s throat was affected by the smoke, causing difficulty in speaking. Fire alarms were heard throughout the premises.
School Claims Mock Drill
Ahmedabad Rural District Education Officer Krupa Jha stated, “According to a school official, the incident was a fire mock drill.” However, the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AF&ES) reported that they received no call from the school about any fire.
Parents Seek Answers
Parents’ WhatsApp groups were flooded with messages in the evening as children recounted the scenes of panic, including some teachers crying. By Thursday night, the school had not communicated with parents about the incident. A parent said, “Several parents have decided not to send their children to school today (Friday) until there’s clarity on the issue from the school.”
School authorities were unavailable for comment despite several attempts by the media.