Bhubaneswar: In the wake of the fire at an exam coaching centre in Surat in which 22 students died, the Odisha Fire Services Department on Monday started inspecting fire safety compliance in coaching centres in capital city Bhubaneswar and its neighbouring Cuttack.
Sources said at least 14 private coaching institutes underwent surprise inspection by the Fire Service personnel in different parts of the capital city.
Many of them found lacking requisite fire safety measures, the sources added.
At least 22 teams of the Fire Service were involved in the inspection to inspect safety arrangements.
The teams were examining whether the fire fighting equipments were in working condition or not, whether the entry and exit routes and other measures taken to deal with any fire mishaps were appropriate and whether the open terraces in buildings have been converted into enclosed ones, which can lead to fire accidents like the one in Surat in Gujarat.
Most of the private tuition and coaching centres in the twin cities function in commercial or business buildings.
Sources said those institutes found lacking fire safety measures would be served notices.
