At least 14 students were burnt to death and seven others injured on Thursday in a fire at a private hostel in Arunachal Pradesh's Kurung Kumey district, bordering China, official sources said.
The students of Holy Angel Don Bosco School, both boys and girls, were killed after a fire swept through a hostel made of bamboo at Palin area in the district, Officer on Special Duty to the chief minister Nob Tshering told PTI. Prima facie, it appears that a short circuit could have led to the blaze, he said.
"The fire broke out at 2:30 am. There were about 56-60 students in the hostel when the mishap took place," DIG (Crime) Tashi Lama said. Tshering said two platoons of reinforcements were rushed from the district headquarters of Koloriang to Palin where a platoon of CRPF were already present as tension prevailed in the area as locals clashed with school authorities following the incident.
Three MLAs of the district flew to the area in a helicopter at the instruction of Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, who would visit the site tomorrow, Tshering said. Four students were seriously injured, he said, adding the injured were admitted to hospitals here. PTI
