VIJAYAWADA: A fire broke out at Little Lights Home, a hostel run by Reach Educational Institutions in Gannavaram, Krishna district, early Tuesday, injuring six students. While five received minor injuries and were discharged, Class VIII student Akhil (13) remains hospitalised. The hostel accommodates 140 students from Classes 3 to 10.
The fire started at 12.15 am when a bed on the top floor caught fire. With only one exit, some students managed to escape, while others were trapped, screaming for help. Locals and firefighters broke windows to rescue them. Pulapaka Akhil (Class IV) sustained hand injuries, Kyle Udayakiran (Grade 8) suffered a minor ear injury, while Mendem Siddhartha, Thiriveedhi Akhilesh, T Tejashwar, and N Vinay had minor wounds.
Investigations revealed major safety violations. The hostel lacked fire safety measures and a No Objection Certificate (NOC). Fire extinguishers were empty, and the building had only one exit instead of the required two. Officials warned that if the fire had started near the sole exit, casualties could have been worse.
Fire officer Sheikh Ahmed confirmed that a mosquito coil placed too close to a coconut husk bed caused the fire. He refuted the school management’s claim that their building was exempt from a NOC, clarifying that structures over 500 square meters require one. Police registered a case probe is on.