CHENNAI: Students felt suffocated after a thick blanket of smoke emanated when a fire broke out in the reed grass and bushes in the premises of Government Music College, Tiruvaiyaru and the fire was doused after fighting for around three hours.
There are around 240 students studying in the Tamil Nadu Government Music College, Tiruvaiyaru premises, located on around 11 acres of land. Among them, around 60 students are staying in the hostel. It is said that out of the total 11 acres, seven acres are vacant, and they are covered with bushes and grass.
On Monday afternoon, a sudden fire broke out, probably due to some excess heat and the students who witnessed it attempted to douse it, but they failed, and the fire soon spread widely as there was a heavy wind. Apart from fire, there was a thick blanket of smoke emanating across the venue, which led to suffocation.
By the time the college administration passed on the information to the Tiruvaiyaru Fire personnel, who rushed to the spot and doused the fire after fighting for over three hours.
The students said that such fire incidents take place every summer, and they had been demanding that the college administration clear the bushes well before the summer, but they failed to initiate any action.
They said that the thick smoke had spread across the premises, and the students felt suffocated. The vacant land can be used for the construction of classrooms, which would solve the space crunch, the students said.