SHILLONG, July 13: A potential disaster was narrowly averted on Sunday afternoon after a fire broke out near Raid Laban Secondary School at Madan Laban, Shillong.
While the main school building remained unharmed, an adjacent shed housing the school’s chowkidar and his family sustained damage.
The incident occurred shortly after 1 pm, when one of the chowkidar’s children, who was having lunch, noticed the smell of burning electrical wires and spotted smoke. The family immediately alerted local authorities and the school’s principal, M Lyngdoh.
Established in 1972, the school is built in the traditional Assam-type structure and is located in a densely populated area. A quick response from residents, combined with the prompt arrival of fire tenders, helped bring the situation under control before the flames could reach the school building. Principal Lyngdoh credited the swift action of local residents and the fire service for containing the fire. “Thanks to their timely help, the fire was contained,” she said. She also noted that free road movement on the day enabled fire engines to reach the site without delay.
All five members of the chowkidar’s family, who were inside the shed at the time, escaped unhurt. No injuries were reported.
Madan Laban headman I Sun lauded the collective effort of the community and the fire department in preventing the fire from escalating.
