At least 19 students die when a fire engulfed a four story commercial building in Sarthanagar, Surat.

In a disturbing video of the burning building, children were seen jumping off the third and fourth floor of the building to save their lives. Most of the students were between the age 14 and 17. About 10 children jumped to their death while others died of suffocation. Eye witnesses said that there were around 50 students in the building when the fire started.

The fire which broke around 3:30 pm engulfed the whole building. Students couldn’t escape as the fire started near the staircase. Students rushed to the top floor where the AC compressors and tires caught fire.

The incident reportedly took place due to a short circuit. An FIR has been registered against three people including the builders of the complex and also the owner of the coaching center has been detained.

Satish Sharma, Commissioner of Police Surat, said that all type of tuition classes have been stopped for now. “Classes can only be conducted after the required fire safety checks are done and a fire safety certificate has been obtained,” he added.