COOCH BEHAR: Disaster struck moments into secondary board exams at a Cooch Behar school, but heroic police intervention saved the day. The near-miss at Nakkatigach Higher Secondary School highlights critical safety gaps even as exams proceed statewide.
Around 202 students from Balabhot High School, Balabhot Vidyasagar Vidyapeeth, and Krishnapur School had just settled into their papers when screams echoed from the canteen. A gas cylinder ignited during tea preparation, flames leaping high and threatening the entire premises.
Alert police personnel at the exam center reacted instantly. Risking their lives, they hauled the burning cylinder across the grounds to a safe distance. Efforts to smother the blaze with soaked burlap failed against the intensifying heat.
The Tufanganj fire brigade was summoned urgently, arriving just after a massive explosion rocked the field. The boom sent exam-takers scrambling outdoors, papers flying in the pandemonium.
Local authorities converged swiftly: SDO Kingsuk Maiti, SDPO Kannedhara Manoj Kumar, and district officials pacified the crowd and declared the area secure. No casualties occurred, a miracle attributed to the open explosion site.
‘Police bravery turned potential tragedy into a close call,’ said acting headmaster Dulu Basak. Exams resumed smoothly post-incident, with relieved parents acknowledging the administration’s efficiency.
This episode underscores the need for rigorous safety audits in exam centers, especially where cooking facilities operate nearby. Investigations into the cylinder’s condition are underway.
