25 students injured after fire breaks out in school science lab in Brahmanbaria

Police say several students were injured while rushing out of the building

A fire has broken out in the science laboratory of Niaz Mohammad High School, injuring at least 25 students who tried to rush down the stairs of the building in a panic.

The incident occurred on the third floor of the school building on Wednesday, according to Muzaffar Hossain, chief of Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station.

Md Samiul Huda, a medical officer at Brahmanbaria 250-Bed General Hospital, said five students Sakera Akhter Soumiya, 13, Baria Sultana, 15, Tanzina Akhter, 14, Nuha Israt, 14, and Faria Akhter, 14 were admitted for treatment. Another student, Rohan, 15, was transferred to Dhaka for advanced care.

Akash, an eighth-grade student who witnessed the incident, said students had been working on a science project when the fire broke out.

“As we were starting the lab project and connecting the electricity, a fire suddenly broke out,” he said.

“Seeing the fire, everyone ran downstairs and several were injured.”

Jamal Uddin, a mathematics teacher at the school, said the students had been preparing for a district-level science fair.

“The students were working on a project on the third floor of the school. While working in the lab, a fire accidentally broke out,” he said.

“The students began shouting, ‘Fire, fire!’”

He added that the commotion caused panic throughout the school.

“Since all the classes were in session at that time, the students downstairs were terrified by the screams of the students on the higher floors of the building,” he said.

“As they were running out, some students were injured when the railing on the stairs broke. Later, the teachers rescued them and took them to the hospital.”

Md Shahidul Haque, the principal of Niaz Mohammad High School, said teachers had accompanied the injured students to the hospital.

“However, it is not yet known how the fire started,” he said.

Samiul confirmed that about 25 students had received treatment following the incident.

Muzaffar said several students were injured while rushing out of the building in a panic.

“However, it is not yet known how the incident happened,” he said.