Tragedy Strikes Kodagu: Seven-Year-Old Student Perishes in Residential School Fire

A pall of sorrow has descended upon the serene hills of Kodagu following a horrific incident that claimed the life of a seven-year-old student at a prominent residential institution. In the quiet pre-dawn hours of Monday, a devastating fire engulfed a dormitory at Coorg Public School (COPS) in Gonikoppal, leaving the community reeling from the tragic loss.

The victim, identified as H.M.

Koushik, a bright-eyed Class 2 student, perished in the blaze. The inferno, suspected to have originated from a short circuit, rapidly spread through the dormitory where young Koushik and several other students were sleeping. While other occupants of the dormitory were roused by the escalating smoke and managed to escape to safety, Koushik, sadly, was not as fortunate.

He was later found unresponsive, a heartbreaking discovery amidst the chaos.

The alarm was raised around 4 AM when smoke was first detected. School management and staff, along with local fire tenders, immediately rushed to the scene to battle the rapidly spreading flames. Their swift actions prevented the fire from consuming the entire building, but not before the irreversible damage had been done to Koushik's life.

Authorities from the Gonikoppal police station have swiftly launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

A case has been registered, and officers are meticulously examining the scene, interviewing witnesses, and collecting evidence to ascertain the exact sequence of events and the precise cause of the fire. The body of the young victim was transferred to a local hospital for a post-mortem examination, a crucial step in the ongoing inquiry.

The news has sent shockwaves through the school community and beyond.

Parents of the deceased child were immediately informed of the unimaginable tragedy, their grief palpable. While school authorities have, understandably, been reticent to comment extensively as the investigation proceeds, the incident underscores critical questions about safety protocols and emergency preparedness in residential educational institutions.

This heartbreaking event serves as a stark reminder of the paramount importance of robust fire safety measures and vigilance in protecting our most vulnerable – our children.