The officials said 42 other students from a nearby coaching academy were also evacuated safely. “These students had moved to the upper floor, where a hotel is located, immediately after the fire was reported. The coaching centre on the fourth floor was engulfed in smoke within minutes, forcing the children to seek refuge upstairs before firefighters arrived,” the official said.Four fire tenders were dispatched to the site, which civic officials described as a densely populated area. Rushikesh Chipade, PCMC’s chief fire officer, said, “The risk of large-scale damage was very high due to the dense surroundings and multiple floors. Our team responded within minutes of the alert and worked tirelessly under extremely challenging conditions to bring the situation under control.”Chipade said the residents had been demanding a dedicated fire station in Pimple Saudagar. “The proposal has already been submitted to the concerned authorities in PCMC,” he added.
