The Government Higher Secondary School located at Talo village in Lower Subansiri of Arunachal Pradesh suffered "significant damage" after being engulfed overnight by a devastating fire that occurred in the institution at around 11.30 pm on Saturday. Photo: Damien Lepcha

The Government Higher Secondary School located at Talo village in Lower Subansiri of Arunachal Pradesh was reduced to ashes after being engulfed overnight by a devastating fire that occurred at around 11.30 pm on Saturday.

The fire reduced a meeting hall, the library, the administration block and several classrooms of the school to ashes, before any help could arrive, an official press release said.

The Talo Government Higher Secondary School is one of the oldest schools in Ziro-II belt.

Talo is around 22 kms from Ziro, the district headquarters of Lower Subansiri.

On receiving news of the unfortunate incident, Local MLA Likha Saaya along with his team of ex-PRI members, additional deputy commissioner Toko Obi, school principal Toko Tubi rushed to Talo to take stock of the situation.

As an immediate relief, the legislature donated Rs 10 lakh on the spot from his Member of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development (MLA LAD) fund procurement of computers sets, desk, benches and building temporary sheds. He also announced to sanction Rs 50 lakh from his non-border area development programme fund for infrastructure development of the school.

Saaya, who is also an alumnus of the school, expressed deep anguish over the incident. He assured all possible assistance for the rehabilitation of the students studying in the school

He further directed the district administration and the police to immediately initiate an investigation and take serious actions against whosoever responsible.

However, till the filing of this report the cause of the fire could not be ascertained, the release added.

Damien Lepcha is Northeast Now Correspondent in Arunachal Pradesh. He can be reached at: [email protected]