After Surat coaching centre blaze, DUSU tells Delhi Police to shut down coaching centres violating fire safety norms

Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) on Tuesday submitted a petition to the Delhi Police asking them to launch an investigation to find out if the coaching centres in the Mukherjee Nagar area have proper fire safety measures and to shut them down if the requirements are not met. The petition was submitted in the aftermath of the coaching centre fire in Surat that shocked the nation, last week. 

The DUSU, in a statement, said that they only want to make sure that horrific incidents like the Surat fire are not repeated again. "There are numerous coaching centres in Delhi and lakhs of students study there. The government should take strict steps to ensure that these centres are safe for the students," said Shakti Singh, President, DUSU. "I will speak to the students who attend classes at these centres and then ascertain the path ahead so that something like the Surat fire never repeats itself," he added.

On Monday, the Delhi government had already written to the Delhi Fire Services asking it to inspect every coaching centre in the national capital and shut down rooftop cafes and restaurants which have a kitchen in their basements.

But the fear of a fire did not leave Delhi alone as a major fire engulfed a girls' hostel in Janakpuri. "The fire was reported at 3.05 am. Over 50 girls have been evacuated and five others have been admitted to the hospital," said Atul Garg, Director, Delhi Fire Services. According to officials, it was sparked by a short circuit in the basement of the building and soon spread to the ground and first floors.

The incident came days after 23 teenage students, including 16 girls, were killed in a blaze at a coaching centre in Sarthana area of Gujarat's Surat.