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Published : 23 Jul 2025, 01:53 PM
A teacher at Milestone School and College has urged people not to spread misinformation about the casualties in the devastating fire that broke out after a fighter jet crashed onto the campus earlier this week.
In a post on Facebook, Purnima Das, a teacher who took class in the crash-hit Haider Ali Building, said most of the children had left their classrooms following the 1pm break.
Those who remained and were caught in the fire had either been waiting for their parents or had stayed behind for other reasons, according to her.
“I strongly urge you not to spread incorrect information,” Purnima said.
“I was also trapped in the fire. You Facebook users don’t know more than me, do you?”
She continued, “School ended at 1pm. I entered the Sky section exactly one or two minutes after that and saw only one child standing there. There was no one else, and everyone had left."
“When classes are almost over, the children get busy preparing their bags three or four minutes before going home. And when I left, some children entered the Sky section again because their guardians had not come. Another teacher of ours took them from the class and put them in another section.”
Purnima said the children who died were those who re-entered the classrooms, or were walking along the corridors, playing on the swings, or running in the stairwell.
“We lost a few more (five to six more people) who entered,” she wrote.
She mentioned that the Cloud-A section had more students than the Sky section.
“I think Mahrin Miss, Masuka Miss and Mahfuza Miss were trying to get the children out of there. And while trying to get them out, they themselves got burnt. Among them, we lost Mahrin Miss and Masuka Miss. Mahfuza Miss's condition is now critical. She is on life support. Please pray for her.”
“The room next to the Cloud section is Moyna. Some children from this class were injured, but no one died. Doyel is next to Moyna. There is one child from this class who is no more. Tuberose and Waterlily are next to Doyel and everyone from these classes were safe. The children on the second floor also tell the same story. Two classrooms and a teachers’ room have burnt down. There were 10-20 people there too.”
She also warned against speculating on the number of children who may still be missing.
“The number of children walking at the entrance of the Haider Ali Building, on the swings and in the corridors cannot be determined in this way. It is difficult to even guess. Many of them have been burnt to ashes and their bodies cannot be found. This includes the nannies there.”
“So don’t spread false information. The number of deaths you are talking about is absolutely impossible. Among them, we who were in the two corners have returned unharmed.”
MISSING BODIES
Purnima also questioned the motives of those claiming bodies were missing, saying: “Those of you who said bodies are missing, I don’t know what your problem is. Because even if we can’t save a child, we will at least try our best to get the body to the parents, right? We are teachers, not politicians.”
“You have no idea how these teachers work to keep children safe all day,” she continued.
“Every day when school ended, Mahrin Miss stood at the gate and handed the children over to their guardians. She wouldn't move from the gate until every child had been picked up.”
Reiterating the need to prevent the spread of misinformation, she said: "Don’t play with people’s emotions. The number of deaths will increase in the future. You don’t have to do it.
"Come, let’s pray for every flower that was lost in the storm. Let’s pray for our teaching staff and the little children today.”
