20 students hospitalized after a fire at the INSEA boarding school

While the majority of students were preparing for their exams, a fire broke out in a room on the third floor of the girls’ dormitory, which houses more than 160 residents, a statement from the Association of Engineering Students of INSEA. « The fire alarm being non-existent, it was the cries of the first victims which alerted the rest of the occupants,” she said. The same source reported that “several obstacles have worsened the situation: emergency exits were padlocked, the main staircase, located near the source of the fire, was invaded by toxic smokeand the fire safety systemssuch as fire extinguisherswere non-functional. »

A heavy human and psychological toll

The fire led to hospitalization of 20 students, including two in a critical condition due to massive inhalation of toxic fumesindicated the association noting that “many residents, plunged into a state of panic and stress extreme, suffered from anxiety attacks. Some testimonies mention students in state of shockrequiring a medical and psychological monitoring immediately to treat the trauma linked to this tragic night ».

Faced with this panic, the students took the initiative to intervene, alerting the firefighters and helping to evacuate the occupants of the building.