KUMBAKO

NAM
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 SCHOOL
AS ANY OTHER DAY

E W
N
K T N
E R O R
V N U
E RE ET E
N E R M
E Y W O S A
H Y T
T E G HE
H
T O I N T
 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
 KITCHE
N

THE KITCHEN WAS LOCATED AJDACENT TO

THE STAIRCASE(NARROW)
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
OLDER
STUDENTS
PLACED NEAR
THATCHED
THE CLASSROOM

STAIRCASE HALL
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
CRISIS
THEY RUSHED FASTER
TO SAME
THEMSELVES(NO INJURY)
 THE PARENTS ARE TO
BE BLAMED TOO

T D ID
T M E N
E P A R R 3
I O N D O L F O
U C A T C H O
E E D T H E S
TH SP E C T O T
T I N D I D N
N O E N T
A R T M R M S
YRS D E P Y N O
E P O L I CE
E SAA F
P
E T
T H
F O R T H
P P
R ORV A L
C H E C K
V IN G A P O V
BE F O R E G I E D
SO WHOSE FAULT WAS IT????????

IT WAS NOT A MATTER OF FEW SECONDS BUT A MATTER

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 dreams
Yet ,Agni engulfed you and all your dreams
Taking you to Almighty’s divine presence
Usually, departed old parents are buried by sons
Whereas, Kumbakonam saw a sad scene!
Crying parents burying their little ones!!
Oh Almighty, bless those parents wailing in grief
To have the strength to bear this great loss
May thy compassion and grace prevade all souls
And bring down the pain and wipe away the tears
Oh Almighty ! Show your grace on those little
ones.
NOT
LEARNING
FROM THE
NOT THE FIRST BUT THE 4 TH MAJOR
FIRE ACCIDENT IN TAMILNADU

JUNE 7 TH 1997
60 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN A FIRE IN BRIHADEESWARA
ALAYAM AT TAJAVUR
ON AUGUST 6
,2001
30 MENTALLY ILL
PATIENTS (CHAINED
TO THEIR COTS) IN
A MENTAL ASYLUM
PERISHED IN
YERWADI
JANUARY 23,2004 SRIRANGAM
30 PEOPLE INCLUDIN THE BRIDEGROOM
HER DREAM
WILL NEVER
COME
TRUE
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARE

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
EXTINGUISHE
RS AT EACH
FLOOR
 INSTALLING SMOKE ALARMS

THEY USE IONISATION AND PHOTOELECTRIC

 O)
D ( T W XI T
O A S E S D E
B R C A A N
A I R R Y
ST E N T
O R
F
EDUCATING
TEACHERS ON USE
OF SAFETY
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

IF E
L
E W
A N
 MERCY
ANGEL

O M
R F
F SO
C K W
A
B E J A
H
T AT H
E
 K E S A
S T T A
IT J U F E W
E R I F T O
M A T T R U S
E S F O
I N U T
M Y T H E
E C T I F
R E S E
I S T A K I L L W
M V E R W A SK
T N E E T O
BU H A N C
M
T A C F R O
G E N E S S
E
PREVEN T IO N I S
BETTE R T H A N
CURE
LE T U S B E
F E SS I O N A L L Y,
PRO
MO R A L L Y
TH