The fire, which started at 2 pm on the ground floor, did not result in any casualties, thanks to the students and staff present on campus, who sprung into action as they heard the news.

They smashed the windows with stones to allow air out and provide an escape for those trapped in the classrooms on the first floor. “Teams of students formed to throw water, get fire extinguishers, break windows and help the girls and the teachers down from the first floor of the building,” said a NSD employee Kafil. “Once we broke the windows upstairs, some of the boys climbed up on the first floor to help the girls in Kathak class down.”

“We must have brought in every fire extinguisher in the school to fight the fire,” said Ashish Nijhawan, a student. “Everyone was scared, and then there were the girls trapped on the first floor.”

NSD’s Chief of Administration Suresh Sharma and Business Manager Sriprakash Sharma suffered attacks of high-blood pressure in the melee; they were later taken to RML Hospital.

One of the girls from the Kathak class suffered an injury as she was being helped down. “One of the boys had climbed up to help them, and there was another one a little below him. As she was being helped down, she lost her grip and fell. Thankfully she wasn’t very badly injured,” added Kafil.

A few students fighting the fire were singed by the blaze, while some others were affected after they inhaled smoke.

Fire fighters arrived on the spot around 2:30 pm by which the blaze had spread to the office next door, but it was brought under control by 3 pm. Fire Department officials said a short circuit in the Chief’s office started the conflagration. “Some electric wire was responsible for the fire, which later spread to the nearby conference hall,” said an official.

NSD officials have not been able to assess the damage of office equipment and files.