When a fire was discovered in a teachers lounge at Sharjah Model School for Boys on the morning of 8th September, some 579 pupils were quickly ushered to safety by schoolteachers and support staff.
Brigadier Abdullah Al Suwaidi, Director-General of Sharjah Civil Defence, said that a team of firefighters was immediately dispatched to the school when fire alarms sounded, and crews had the fire under control soon after they arrived. The Brigadier confirmed that teachers and officials had done a good job evacuating the school to prevent injury, given that the fire initially spread panic among some of the pupils.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but investigators suspect an electrical short circuit could have started the fire that destroyed computer equipment and furniture together with consequent smoke damage.
Brigadier Al Suwaidi emphasied the importance of evacuation drill in schools to ensure that staff and pupils could respond correctly and safely in event of a fire. He also called on all schools to carry out checks and maintenance works periodically to the electrical system in their premises.
Image Courtesy of Sharjah Civil Defence.
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