Seven coaching classes sealed for violating fire safety norms

SURAT: Seven private tuition and coaching classes on Ghod Dod Road and in Adajan area of the city were sealed by Surat Municipal Corporation’s (SMC) fire and emergency department for violation of fire safety norms on Tuesday.

The fire and emergency department has become very active ever since the death of a seven-year-old student and a lady tutor in a private tuition class in Vesu last month.

Official sources said dozens of notices have been issued to private tuition classes across the city after the major fire accident at Aagam Arcade in Vesu on November 26. The tuition class owners were given an ultimatum to follow fire safety norms and make necessary changes in their premises by creating additional exit points.

The private tuition classes sealed were Narayan Acadeny located at Suryakiran Apartment at Ghod Dod road; Quark at Dharmesh Apartment on Hazira Road; Beta IIT and NEET Academy at Titanium Square in Adajan; Dev Classes at Escon Plaza in Adajan; Zircon Learning Centre at Trinity Business Park in Adajan; Brain Child Learning at Escon Plaza in Adajan and Aloha in Adajan.

Majority of these tuition classes had single exit and entry points and were not having required fire safety equipment. In case of a major fire, the escape route for children and tutors would have become difficult to locate. Two classes in the basement of an apartment have been asked to shift to another location. Chief fire officer Basant Pareek said, “We have started a drive to seal private tuition and coaching classes which violate the prescribed fire safety norms. We do not want a repeat of the fire accident which claimed two lives recently. More sealings are likely.”