A massive fire erupted at a private engineering college in Jagamara area of Bhubaneswar on Friday, triggering panic among students and staff.
Initial reports suggest the fire originated from an AC compressor blast in the auditorium, rapidly spreading to the second floor.
According to Fire Services DG Umashankar Das, the blaze on the second floor has been brought under control. Swift action by the Fire and Emergency Services led to the rescue of around 65 students from the third floor, many of whom were attending a development training session at the time of the incident.
One student, who experienced breathing discomfort due to smoke inhalation, was shifted to the hospital as a precautionary measure. Eyewitnesses reported that 10 to 12 ambulances were deployed, each carrying multiple injured individuals.
Three fire brigade vehicles were pressed into service to douse the flames. The college authorities initially denied the incident, but student accounts and visual evidence confirmed the fire outbreak.
This incident has reignited concerns over campus safety, especially as reports suggest a similar fire had occurred in another building of the same college in the past.
