Society
Of The Divine Word

Fr. Ivan DSilva, SVD, the Parish Priest, rushed out of his house upon hearing the commotion and saw the building already ablaze. Fortunately, all the boarding students, along with two female wardens, two female teachers, and two cooks, had already exited the building. Fr. Ivan asked the group to ensure no one was still inside and immediately contacted the local police station, requesting they inform the fire department. He also reached out to parishioners for assistance.

The fire brigade arrived within 15 minutes and began efforts to control the fire. However, the flames spread quickly due to the structure of the building, which was originally an old priest’s residence with 15 small rooms and a galvanized sheet roof. The hostel, known as St. Arnold Hostel, was attached to St. Arnold School and managed by the SVD Fathers since 1996. At the time of the fire, the hostel housed about 30 individuals, including students from Kindergarten to Class II and staff members.

According to Mrs. Prabhati Sangma, one of the cooks, she first noticed smoke and, upon investigating, saw flames blazing from a middle room. She immediately alerted the teachers and wardens, who then evacuated the children. “I went back to disconnect the gas cylinder and collect my documents,” she recalled. “But when I returned once more to grab my mobile and some clothes, the smoke was so thick I couldn’t see anything. I ran out to save myself.”

Firefighters struggled to control the blaze due to a shortage of water in their vehicle. Parishioners assisted by pumping water from a nearby fish pond, which eventually helped extinguish the fire by around 4:00 a.m.

The electrical department was contacted to disconnect the supply line. Officials stated the fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit, as a fallen bamboo appeared to have struck the service wire, causing a spark.

The hostel was completely gutted, with ten rooms destroyed beyond repair. All of the children’s books, clothes, beddings, and personal belongings were reduced to ashes. The students, mostly from rural villages and children of ordinary farmers, were traumatized. Their guardians were informed and came quickly to check on their children. Due to the loss of essential belongings and the emotional impact, the children were allowed to return home temporarily.

The hostel administration assured parents that school uniforms and books would be provided free of charge. A formal written report about the incident was submitted to the local government authorities, requesting a detailed investigation into the cause of the fire.