Tiruchirappalli: Over 300 children studying in the Seventh Day Adventist school had a miraculous escape on April 16 after they were saved by members of the public from a fire, which engulfed the thatched roofs of the buildings in the campus while they were in their classes.

The fire, which spread rapidly, gutted four houses nearby and also a petty shop. However, no casualties were reported as members of the public extinguished the flames well before fire service personnel reached the spot.

Police said that though the school had closed for summer vacation, the 300 students had come to the school, located in the congested Subramanya Puram locality in the city, for moral instruction classes. The teachers and students did not initially notice the fire and were told about it by local people, before being helped to escape.

PTI