Fire breaks out at JNU hostel, DU's Gwyer Hall canteen; no injuries reported

NEW DELHI: Fires at two prominent educational institutions in Delhi on Friday has caused widespread panic among students, no injuries were reported in either incident. The two separate blazes, one at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the other at Delhi University’s Gwyer Hall, raised serious concerns about safety of students on campus.

A fire broke out at Jawaharlal Nehru University's Godavari Hostel on Friday, causing a panic-like situation in among the students. There were no injuries reported in the blaze. Videos shared by the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) showed flames and smoke billowing from an electrical panel board.

According to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), the fire began at around 10:18 pm from an air-conditioning unit in the hostel. The DFS dispatched one fire tender, and the fire was doused within 15 minutes. "We received a call at 10.18 pm. It was a minor fire in electrical equipment. One fire tender was rushed to the site, and it took 15 minutes to douse the flames," a DFS official said.

While no injuries were reported, the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) voiced strong concerns about the safety infrastructure at the university’s hostels. In a post on X, JNUSU president Dhananjay blamed the incident on "poor safety measures" at the hostels. "The JNU administration and vice chancellor have pushed JNU students into the jaws of death. The fire in Godavari Hostel is proof of this," he said.

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"The JNUSU has repeatedly raised concerns about the safety and renovation of hostels with the administration, but the response has always been that the government is not providing funds", he added.

Fire broke out at DU Gwyar Hall canteen

In a separate incident earlier that day, a fire broke out at the Gwyer Hall hostel in Delhi University, specifically in its popular Shri Meenakshi South Indian Cafe (SMSIC). The fire started at around 10:54 am, quickly spread to a neighboring canteen, the Pandit Ji’s Canteen, both of which are known gathering spots for students, The Republic reported.

The fire official said, "Four fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and the blaze was brought under control. No injuries or casualties were reported." According to the DFS, a call regarding the blaze was received around 10.54 am on Friday.

A blaze broke out at a popular canteen at the iconic Gwyer Hall hostel in Delhi University on Friday morning, fire officials said, adding that no casualties were reported in the incident.

(With inputs from PTI)