Forty-eight children survived Wednesday night's fire at the hostel of Holy Angel Don Bosco school at Palin, Arunachal Pradesh, which left 14 students dead, with some suffering burn injuries.
According to an eyewitness, the 62 inmates, who were fast asleep in the hostel, were mostly studying in kindergarten and standard one.
The villagers said the toll could have been higher but for the brave rescue efforts of a senior student of the school.
The student jumped into the leaping flames bringing out the victims one after another and thus saved seven lives. But after his eighth bid, he was not seen coming out and was presumed dead.
The residents of this remote village said 10 charred bodies have been identified and buried in the compound of the school. Four missing students are presumed dead while four of the seriously injured have been shifted to Itanagar hospitals.
Meanwhile, the Arunachal Pradesh government will constitute a high level committee to probe the incident.
Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, who along with Education Minister Bosiram Siram and other officials flew into Palin in Kurung Kumey district on Friday morning, announced the decision after meeting the grief-striken parents and the school authorities.
Khandu also visited the spot where the hostel, made entirely of bamboo with tin roof, once stood.
The education minister said the government is drafting an education policy requiring authorities of hostels, including those run by private individuals, to give special emphasis on safety and hygiene so that recurrence of the tragedy does not take place.
The chief minister handed over Rs 20 lakh to the assistant deputy commissioner for immediate relief. Khandu expressed anguish over absence of the deputy commissioner even 36 hours after the incident.
Referring to the demand of the grieving parents to associate names of the victims with the school to keep their memories alive, the chief minister assured them that the education minister will chair a committee comprising the MP and MLAs among others to look into the demand.
