Fire audit finds safety lapses at Khan Global Studies; Bihar officials to issue notice

Patna: Bihar Police on Sunday found several structural deficiencies at Khan Global Studies (KGS) in Patna during a fire audit and said notice will be issued to the institute for rectifying the shortcomings within a week, officials said.

The audit was conducted days after a fire at a private hospital in Muzaffarpur district claimed at least seven lives. KGS is a Patna-based coaching institute founded by educator Faisal Khan, popularly known as Khan Sir, and is known for preparing students for competitive and government recruitment examinations "We have found deficiencies here at KGS during the fire audit, and a notice will be issued soon. If they fail to comply within a week, appropriate action will be taken," assistant district fire officer Ajay Kumar Sharma told reporters.

Sharma said deficiencies were found in the fire alarm system, while a fire pump had not been installed. The capacity of the overhead water tank was also inadequate, and there was no fixed firefighting system, he added.

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Despite repeated attempts, officials of KGS could not be reached for comment. Referring to the statewide audit drive, Sharma said, "In light of the recent fire incidents in Delhi and Muzaffarpur, a large-scale fire audit and investigation is being conducted for all hotels, hospitals and various institutes. Notices are being issued to them to install proper fire safety systems and obtain certificates from the fire department. They also need to submit an electrical load analysis for the appliances installed in their buildings."

According to a statement issued by the governor's secretariat, fire safety audits and the related compliance process have been completed in 1,679 out of Bihar's 1,943 hospitals and in 3,744 out of the state's 4,020 hotels. The remaining hospitals and hotels have been directed to ensure compliance with fire safety standards and other provisions prescribed by the government at the earliest, it added.

The governor also directed officials to organise a seminar at Lok Bhavan, to be attended by representatives of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA), the Health Department, Bihar Fire Services, safety officers of hospitals and hotels, and representatives of urban local bodies.