By Iftikhar Mashwani Mashwani/MalikFazalkarim/UNS
HARIPUR/SIRIKOT/TARBELA GHAzI:”A devastating fire broke out at Government Girls High School, Serikot, Tehsil Ghazi, due to unknown reasons. The fire engulfed the school building, and it took three hours to bring it under control. TMG Ghazi, Rescue 1122, and Tarbela Dam Fire Brigade vehicles participated in the operation to extinguish the fire.
The school’s record and furniture were completely destroyed, and the building was left in ruins. Fortunately, 600 students and staff were rescued, and no one was injured.According to details, the fire broke out at 8:40 am today due to unknown reasons, engulfing the school building, which was made of wooden material. At the time of the fire, around 600 students and staff were present in the school.
Sources said that fire was triggered by a short-circuit,while some other source said that the fire erupted due to garbag fire.
According to details as over 6,00 students were attending their classes at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Sirikot – a village located at a distance of 23 kilometres from the district headquarters, Haripur.
Rescuers and locals people failed to contain the fire which got out of control because of material in the structure, especially the wooden furniture in classrooms, as firefighters rushed from the nearby towns.
However, the local people managed to evacuate the students and staff members before the fire torched the entire building before the arrival of officials from different departments.
Later, the rescuers confirmed the reports that none of the persons present in the school suffered any injuries in the horrific incident.
However, the school building fortunately isn’t located in a congested area, thus ruling out the possibility of fire spreading to other buildings.
The incident occurred amid the persistent heatwave affecting Pakistan for over a week, which is expected to continue for another two days.
As soon as the fire was reported, local residents, Muslim League (N) District President Sahibzada Hamid Shah, SHO Ghazi Cadet Amer, and VC Chairman Serikot Malik Adil Mashwani rushed to the scene and started rescue operations.
Contact was made with various organizations, and fire brigade vehicles were called in. Initially, local residents rescued the students and staff, and no one was injured. The school building was completely destroyed in the fire, and the furniture and records were burnt.
After three hours of struggle, the fire was brought under control by four fire brigade vehicles. Later, DC Haripur Khan Muhammad, Assistant Commissioner Ghazi Fozia Mohsin, and District Education Officer Women Haripur Shagufta Jabin also arrived at the scene and supervised the rescue operations. The school building was completely destroyed in the fire, making it impossible for the students to continue their education in the building, and posing a danger to their lives.”District Police Officer Haripur Suleman Zafar and MPA Malik Adeel Iqbal Awan also visit School
All the students and teachers were safely rescued after a fire engulfed a school in Sirikot,Tehsil Ghai ,Haripur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday, as the inferno torched the entire building.
It worth noting that summer vacation in Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa usually starts on June 1 till Aug 15. However, the change in weather pattern and rising temperatures mean that there is an urgent need to modify the schedule, as the month of May is now associated with heatwaves, pushing the mercury over 45 degree Celsius in even those areas where it was previously considered unthinkable or at least an anomaly.
Poor power distribution system as well as substandard wiring in residential, commercial and public structures mean they can’t cope with the excessive heat, which has become a norm thanks to the climate change, resulting in an increase in short-circuit incidents.
In a separate incident, two children were killed and four other persons received severe burns after fire torched their home at Androon Imamia Gate – a neighbourhood in the city of Dera Ismail Khan.
