SURAT, INDIA - A deadly fire in Takshashila Arcade, a coaching center in Surat in the state of Gujarat, claimed 22 lives on Friday, after a fatal sequence of events started by a short circuit that spread out.

Investigations suggest that an electrical transformer located behind the building sent sparks flying and the trees next to it caught fire. The blaze then spread to a hoarding through cables, setting the entire building on fire.

It was confirmed that the short circuit began in a hardware shop and then spread out. DGVCL, the power distribution utility, said the fire started in AC ducts and spread through the banners in the complex, giving an impression that it spread from the transformer.

"The transformer was some distance away from the fire and the cables carried the fire to the hoarding," said MF Dastoor, director of Gujarat State Fire Service.

The haphazard handling of the situation made things worse for the victims, who resorted to jumping from the fourth floor of the building, leading to deaths and severe injuries.

It has been reported that no attempts were made to turn off power to the faulty equipment, so the power in the building was on, feeding the flames throughout the rescue operations, which took two hours.

Source: Ahmedabad Mirror