Fourteen teachers of the Don Bosco School at Palin in Kurung Kumey district of Arunachal Pradesh were airlifted to Itanagar on Friday after the management closed the school indefinitely following an attack on the school by some locals angered by the death of 14 students in a hostel fire on Wednesday.
Father Jose K of the school told The Hindu from Itanagar that some people threw stones at the school, causing extensive damage to the building, after Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu left the premises.
“As the situation took a serious turn, we requested the government to airlift our teachers. So far, 14 have been airlifted, while seven sisters are yet to be evacuated. We are making efforts to airlift them on Saturday,” he said.
Father Jose said the school was closed indefinitely. Set up in 1995, the school has 620 students, from kindergarten to Std. VII.
Mr. Dorjee Khandu, accompanied by Education Minister Bosiram Siram, visited the accident site. Addressing the bereaved parents at the school, he said: “The catastrophe could have been averted had proper attention been paid to safety measures in the thatched hostel building, especially during such a dry season when the possibility of fire is very high. It’s appalling that so many children were accommodated in a small hostel with just one entry door.”
