# 84 children die in school fire in India **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 16, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476 "2004-07-16T20:26:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/1 "2004-07-16T20:26:41Z")
[Link](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5448005) > [@](#): > > For the burned children, big-city medical care was a five- to six-hour drive away, and some died awaiting treatment at the hospital in this southern Indian river town. Man, this shit just breaks my fuckin’ heart. > [@](#): > > No teachers died, and a senior fire officer said it was because they abandoned the children and ran from the burning school. If this is true (the article does say it is disputed) then, to me, it is unforgivable (maybe because I am a parent, YMMV). > [@](#): > > Local television showed dozens of small, blackened bodies with skeletal limbs laid out on the floor inside a large hall. They were burned beyond recognition, their clothes seared off flaking skin. Damn…just, damn. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/2 "2004-07-16T20:39:30Z")
A terrible tragedy indeed. To the credit of officials there: > [@](#): > > Police said they had arrested the principal, Pulavar Palanichamy, and intended to charge him with negligence leading to death. Four education department officials were suspended. > > “This is entirely due to criminal negligence on the part of the school management and the district school authorities,” said J. Jayalalithaa, head of government in Tamil Nadu state, where the fire occurred. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/3 "2004-07-16T21:48:41Z")
> [@Greathouse](#): > > If this is true (the article does say it is disputed) then, to me, it is unforgivable (maybe because I am a parent, YMMV). > > . Personnally, I wouldn’t dare to blame the teachers as long as I don’t find myself in such a situation and actually try to rescue the children rather than flee. Then only , I might feel entitled to cast stones. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/4 "2004-07-16T21:52:25Z")
Each teacher had two hands, they could have at least tried to save one or two children with them…or did they also have to save [portraits of Kim Jong-Il also?](http://www.command-post.org/nk/2_archives/011987.html) ---
**Author:** ![sunfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sunfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunfish)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/5 "2004-07-16T22:03:33Z")
> [@Greathouse](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Local television showed dozens of small, blackened bodies with skeletal limbs laid out on the floor inside a large hall. They were burned beyond recognition, their clothes seared off flaking skin. > > If this is true (the article does say it is disputed) then, to me, it is unforgivable (maybe because I am a parent, YMMV). Unfortunately it is. There are a series of photos related to the fire starting on [this page](http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-781126,curpg-1.cms). Phote #2 (the next page) is not for the squeamish. Some children also apparently died of asphyxiation. The _Times Of India_ alsp reports that while [older students managed to escape](http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/780834.cms) once they saw the fire, younger students may have been told [to stay where they were](http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/780839.cms) since apparently some teachers thought the fire initially was not serious. I’d read earlier today (but can’t find now) a report that said some of the building’s exits were locked, preventing people from getting out. How horrifying and how terribly sad for the children’s families. ---
**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/6 "2004-07-16T22:11:01Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Personnally, I wouldn’t dare to blame the teachers as long as I don’t find myself in such a situation and actually try to rescue the children rather than flee. Then only , I might feel entitled to cast stones. If I did find myself in the same situation, and ran out while abandoning the children inside, I would fully expect others to throw stones at me. But, like I said, it may not be true and it is being investigated. I’m not saying anybody did anything wrong. But if they ran out to saftey and left the kids in the burning building to fend for themselves, then to me, that is wrong. As teachers and school officials they are responsible for the saftey of the kids until school lets out. I’m not saying that all the kids could have been saved. I’m not even saying ANY of them could have been saved. But to run out and abandon the kids in a burning building without even trying to help is unimaginable to me. again…YMMV I hope that it turns out that the staff of the school did all they could to save as many children as possible. That is all. Just _try_ to save the kids. But to read the article, the point being investigated is whether the teachers even tried to save the kids or simply ran out and left the kids to fend for themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/7 "2004-07-16T22:21:48Z")
A thatched roof. Wow. I wonder (seriously, not rhetorically) if Indian public building codes allow thatched roofs for new construction, and if they do, is there not an alternative both cheaper and safer? ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/8 "2004-07-17T01:33:00Z")
> [@sunfish](#): > > There are a series of photos related to the fire starting on [this page](http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-781126,curpg-1.cms). Phote #2 (the next page) is not for the squeamish. I never before counted myself among “the squeamish.” Jesus Christ, what a photo. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/9 "2004-07-17T03:17:52Z")
Building codes here do not allow thatched roofs. Unfortunately, like almost everything in India, rules are flouted and overlooked all the time. In all probability, the school administrators had expanded the school and couldn’t be bothered to spend a little money to build a decent roof ☹ The thatched rood wasn’t the only problem with that building. Fire safety codes require at least 3 exits from a classroom - this one had just one. Fire extinguishers are supposed to be placed at specific places - in this case, either they weren’t there, or they didn’t work. There is just so much WRONG here, I can’t even begin to believe how this was allowed. I’m need to leave for work, but I will post more once I get to work. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/10 "2004-07-17T10:14:46Z")
Yup, it does get worse. On TV this afternoon - surviving kids say they saw their teachers running away as the fire spread. The teachers didn’t even _try_ to save their students :mad: The local councillor was on TV saying that he had repeatedly warned the school about the danger of having the thatched roof, but they did nothing about it. Correction to my previous post: Fire safety codes require at least three exit points from a school building, not classroom. This building had just one exit. The fire department literally had to break down a wall (this part was caught on camera) to get access to the building. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/11 "2004-07-17T11:06:33Z")
What gets me is that the district fire officer is saying that when they reached the school, after just a half kilometer trip, they saw no teachers on site… You can argue that they didn’t have a responsibility to go into the fire to save any children. You can argue that many would just panic when in a fire. But, at the very least the teachers have a responsibility to provide a situation report to emergency services when they respond. ☹ :mad: ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/12 "2004-07-17T20:47:58Z")
> [@gouda](#): > > The fire department literally had to break down a wall (this part was caught on camera) to get access to the building. When I saw that clip, the voice over said the fire crews were trying to gain access by smashing into an adjoining building. That was early this morning so they may have got it wrong. I work in a school and it sickens me the teachers did not even try and save a few of the kids in their room. I couldn’t imagine myself running from a burning classroom and leaving anyone behind. ---
**Author:** ![nonpolar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3da27b/32.png) [@nonpolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonpolar)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/13 "2004-07-21T02:43:27Z")
So they no longer going to build schools with thatched roofs? what else will they use for the roofs in dirt poor India? So what makes sense, building one expensive structually sound school in place of fifty schacks like schools in over populated country? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/14 "2004-07-21T02:47:34Z")
> [@nonpolar](#): > > So they no longer going to build schools with thatched roofs? what else will they use for the roofs in dirt poor India? > So what makes sense, building one expensive structually sound school in place of fifty schacks like schools in over populated country? Yeah! And while we’re at it, three exits per building is _ **FAR** _ too expensive… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/15 "2004-07-21T13:31:48Z")
> [@masonite](#): > > A thatched roof. Wow. > > I wonder (seriously, not rhetorically) if Indian public building codes allow thatched roofs for new construction, and if they do, is there not an alternative both cheaper and safer? We even have a school with a thatched roof here in Utrecht (Netherlands). See for yourself [here](http://www.vanhoogevest.nl/restauratie/scholen/3.html). Not surprisingly, there have been five fires at that school (no one killed luckily, because the fires all happened when school was out. There are some more nice pictures [here](http://www.brandweer.org/verslagen/040618_utrecht.html). The school’s name can be translated as “the school with the thatched roof”. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/84-children-die-in-school-fire-in-india/255476/16 "2004-07-21T14:06:39Z")
Not to negate this tragedy but to harp on about the thatched roof seems silly. I grew up when carseats and seatbelts were not compulsory…well they were not even an option when I was a kid. We swung on jungle gyms and monkeys bars over concrete. There were no safety labels on anything. We lived. What happened in India was a tragic accident. It happened at a school. Not a safe school but a school! Children were being educated and we all know that is a good thing. India will oneday have laws in place to protect the children in its school but for now it is a good thing that the schools exist.