KUMBAKONAM

SCHOOL FIRE

TRAGEDY

SIDE VIEW OF THE KUMBAKONAM SRI KRISHNA PRIMARY SCHOOL

FRONT VIEW

THE DREAMS OF PARENTS

ON JULY 16 TH 2004 THEY SET TO SCHOOLAS ANY OTHER DAY

THEY NEVER K

NEW

THEY WERE N

OT

GOING T

O RETURN

BACK THE S

AME

WAY

THE FIRE

•The town of Kumbakonam mourned 90 children who died when a blaze engulfed their primary school.

•THE CAUSES

The school had about 900 students housed in over crowded classrooms

THE KITCHEN WAS LOCATED AJDACENT TO THE STAIRCASE(NARROW)

KITCHEN

FIRE WOOD OVENS WERE USED INSTEAD OF GAS COOKERS

THE CLASSROOM ON THE TOP MOST FLOOR HOUSING 180 CHILDREN HAD A THATCHED ROOF

WHILE THE OLDER CHILDREN WERE HOUSED IN BRICK AND MORTAR CLASSROOMS , ONLY THE NURSERY AND PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WERE HOUSED IN CLASSROOMS THAT HAD THATCHED COVERING

HALL

THATCHED CLASSROOM

OLDER STUDENTS PLACED NEAR THE STAIRCASE

THE FIRE STARTED FROM THE KITCHEN WERE THE MID DAY MEALS WERE BEING COOKED

THE BURNT THATCHED ROOF OF THE SCHOOL

POLICE INSPECTING THE REMAINS FIRE ENGINES

THE SCHOOL TEACHERS WERE NOT TRAINED TO HANDLE CHILDREN IN SUCH CRISISTHEY RUSHED FASTER TO SAME THEMSELVES(NO INJURY)

THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT DID NOT

INSPECT THE SCHOOL FOR 3 YRS

THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DID NOT CHECK

FOR THE SAFETY NORMS BEFORE GIVING

APPROVALAPPROVED

THE PARENTS ARE TO BE BLAMED TOO

SO WHOSE FAULT WAS IT???????????

IT WAS NOT A MATTER OF FEW SECONDS BUT A MATTER OF

90 LIVES ….THE LIVES OF OUR FUTURE CITIZENS

Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam’s poem

Oh dear little ones ! Oh dear little ones!For you ,parents had glorious dreams!And you were all immersed in your own dreamsYet ,Agni engulfed you and all your dreamsTaking you to Almighty’s divine presenceUsually, departed old parents are buried by sonsWhereas, Kumbakonam saw a sad scene!Crying parents burying their little ones!!Oh Almighty, bless those parents wailing in griefTo have the strength to bear this great lossMay thy compassion and grace prevade all soulsAnd bring down the pain and wipe away the tearsOh Almighty ! Show your grace on those little ones.

NOT LEARNING FROM THE PAST

NOT THE FIRST BUT THE 4 TH MAJOR FIRE ACCIDENT IN TAMILNADU

JUNE 7 TH 199760 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN A FIRE IN BRIHADEESWARA ALAYAM AT TAJAVUR

ON AUGUST 6 ,200130 MENTALLY ILL PATIENTS (CHAINED TO THEIR COTS) IN A MENTAL ASYLUM PERISHED IN YERWADI

JANUARY 23,2004 SRIRANGAM30 PEOPLE INCLUDIN THE BRIDEGROOM

HER DREAM WILL NEVER COMETRUE

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARENTS

CHECK THE FOLLOWING:•GENERAL AIR QUALITY•VENTILATION SYSTEMS •ROOFING SYSTEMS•FIRE PREVENTION SYSTEMS•SAFE EXITS

STEPS TO BE TAKEN BY SCHOOLS TO ENSURE SAFETY

INSTALLING FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AT EACH FLOOR

INSTALLING SMOKE ALARMS

THEY USE IONISATION AND PHOTOELECTRIC DETECTORS

BROAD

STAIRCASES(TWO)

FOR ENTRY AND EXIT

EDUCATING TEACHERS ON USE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT

USING SIGN BOARDS

SUGGESTED CHECKLIST

•DOES EACH CLASSROOM HAVE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, ESPECIALLY NEAR SWITCH BOARDS?•ARE FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS PROVIDED?•WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARDS,LIKE KITCHENS?•WHAT FIRE EXITS ARE PROVIDED OTHER THAN STAIRCASES?•HOW MANY STAIRCASES ARE PRESENT?IF THERE IS ONLU ONE ,IS IT SUFFICIENT TO VACATE ALL THE STUDENTS IN LESS THAN A MINUTE IN CASE OF A FIRE?•WHAT IS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FARTHEST CLASSROOM AND THE STAIRCASE? •ARE THE BULIDINGS OCKED OR BLOCKED?IS SEURITY VIGILANT ENOUGH TO OPEN THE GATES WIDE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY?•ARE ALL THE STAFF TRAINED TO HADLE CHILDREN IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY?•ARE FIRE DRILLA HELD PERIODCALLY?•DO YOU HAVE EMERGENCY LIGHTING SYSTEM,ESPECIALLY IN CASE OF INSTITUTIONS THAT TEACH AT NIGHT TIME?

VIJAYAN

A NEW LIFE

MERCY ANGEL

BACK FROM

THE JAWS OF

DEATH

IT JUST TAKES A

MATTER IF FEW

MINUTES FOR US TO

RECTIFY THE

MISTAKES

BUT NEVER WILL WE

GET A CHANCE TO ASK

FORGIVENESS FROM

THOSE

TINY SOULS

PREVENTION IS

BETTER THAN

CURELET US BE

PROFESSIONALLY,

MORALLY

ETHICAL WITH

COMMON

MORALITY