Berhampur: A fire broke out at a girls’ hostel in Berhampur University on Tuesday morning, destroying belongings of students. No casualty was reported.
It is suspected that the blaze was triggered by a short-circuit. Fire services personnel from Berhampur, along with university staff, responded promptly and contained the fire within 30 minutes. “The fire was restricted to one room, and no major structural damage was reported,” said Sachidanand Nayak, university registrar.
Fire officer Thakur Prasad Dalei said personal belongings, including clothing, study materials, a laptop, a mobile phone and furniture were destroyed.”We are yet to assess the total value of damaged property,” added Dalei.
The affected room housed three students, with only one being present in the hostel when the fire started. Sources said the student had gone to have breakfast then. She has been relocated to another room.
While the incident has caused panic among hostel residents, university authorities have announced an internal investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire. “We will conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter,” the registrar said.