A devastating fire broke out in a hostel room at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) in Bariyatu, Latehar district, Jharkhand, early Monday morning, narrowly sparing 25 girls who were outside for physical training. The blaze, reported at 6:00 AM, gutted beds, study materials, and other belongings in Hall No. 5 of the government-run residential school, which houses 221 girls under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan initiative. No injuries were reported, but the incident has raised alarm bells about safety in aging school infrastructure.

Bariyatu police station in-charge Ranjan Kumar Paswan told PTI that a short circuit is the suspected cause, with an initial investigation pointing to faulty electrical wiring in the decades-old building. A fire tender, assisted by locals and students, took over an hour to extinguish the flames. District Education Officer Prince Kumar, who inspected the site, confirmed that all students were safe and that alternative accommodations are being arranged. “The fire destroyed everything in the room, but thankfully, no lives were lost,” Kumar said, adding that a thorough probe is underway to examine other potential causes, including structural issues.

The school, established to provide education to economically disadvantaged girls from marginalized communities, operates in an outdated building with reported issues like overcrowded hostels and aging electrical systems. Local stakeholders have long flagged the need for upgrades, noting that a new building has been under construction for five years. “The old wires and cramped spaces are a disaster waiting to happen,” a teacher told ETV Bharat, echoing concerns raised after similar incidents at KGBV schools, including a fire in Giridih district last week that affected 350 students and a food poisoning case in Latehar involving 61 girls.

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Social media posts on X amplified the incident, with users expressing relief at the girls’ safety but demanding urgent safety audits. One post noted, “Thank God the girls were at PT, but how many more warnings do we need?” The fire follows a pattern of safety lapses at KGBV facilities, including a recent blaze in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, where 280 mattresses were destroyed, prompting calls for nationwide inspections.

As authorities investigate, the incident underscores the critical need for modernized facilities and stricter safety protocols to protect vulnerable students in Jharkhand’s residential schools.

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