# Canonical recap data for 2019 Surat fire (2019)
# Source: https://recap.at/2019/2019-surat-fire
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: 2019-surat-fire
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2019/2019-surat-fire"
title: 2019 Surat fire
aliases:
- Surat coaching center fire
- Sarthana Jakatnaka fire
- May 2019 Surat fire
subtitle: "On this day (05/24), 7 years ago: Twenty-two students die in a fire in Surat (India)."
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2019-05-24
datePrecision: day
year: 2019
decade: 2010
summaryShort: On 24 May 2019, a fire occurred at a commercial complex in Sarthana Jakatnaka area of Surat in the Gujarat state of India. Twenty-two students died and 19 others were injured in an academic coaching centre located on the building's terrace. The fire was started by a short circuit on the ground floor; the students in th
summaryLong: On 24 May 2019, a fire occurred at a commercial complex in Sarthana Jakatnaka area of Surat in the Gujarat state of India. Twenty-two students died and 19 others were injured in an academic coaching centre located on the building's terrace. The fire was started by a short circuit on the ground floor; the students in the coaching centre were trapped by the destruction of a wooden staircase. Three people were arrested for their alleged involvement or their alleged negligence leading to the fire and the deaths.
lede: On May 24, 2019, a fire tore through a commercial building in Surat, Gujarat, killing 22 students trapped in a coaching center on the roof. The blaze started from an electrical short circuit on the ground floor, but inadequate safety measures and blocked exits turned a manageable incident into a catastrophe that exposed systemic neglect in India's unregulated education sector.
heroImageUrl: "https://pixabay.com/get/g2c6b138a4b87314ca72749941ca8635f3c1fd19105c6ba1f361951715d02377468b42756ea532a419971d21050dc9c79e2953504aff7978342a0fbe45e6b486e_1280.jpg"
heroImageCredit: timmossholder on Pixabay
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Death toll
  value: 22 students
- label: Injured
  value: 19 people
- label: Date
  value: May 24, 2019
- label: Location
  value: Sarthana Jakatnaka, Surat, Gujarat
- label: Primary cause
  value: Electrical short circuit on ground floor
- label: Facility type
  value: Unregistered coaching center on building terrace
- label: Building violations
  value: No emergency exits, blocked stairwells, overcrowding
- label: State response
  value: Inquiry ordered; multiple violations found in inspection
timeline:
- date: 2019-05-24
  title: Fire breaks out at coaching center
  description: "Around 3:15 PM, an electrical short circuit on the ground floor of a commercial complex in Sarthana Jakatnaka ignites a fire. The coaching center operates on the building's terrace with approximately 150 students present. Many students become trapped due to blocked exits and overcrowded conditions."
- date: 2019-05-24
  title: Rescue and casualty count
  description: Fire brigade personnel arrive and conduct rescue operations. Twenty-two students are confirmed dead; 19 others are hospitalized with injuries. Most victims are teenagers preparing for medical and engineering entrance exams.
- date: 2019-05-25
  title: Initial investigation reveals violations
  description: Early findings show the coaching center operated without proper registration, had no emergency exits, and had blocked stairwells. The building housed multiple unregulated educational operations stacked vertically, creating a fire trap.
- date: 2019-05-27
  title: Gujarat government announces inquiry
  description: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announces a judicial inquiry into the fire. The state initiates action against building owners and coaching center operators for safety violations.
- date: 2019-06-01
  title: Safety audit ordered across state
  description: Gujarat authorities announce a statewide inspection of coaching centers and commercial buildings housing educational institutions, looking for similar fire hazards and regulatory breaches.
- date: 2019-12-01
  title: Judicial inquiry report submitted
  description: The inquiry committee submits its findings, documenting systemic failures in building safety, regulatory oversight, and the uncontrolled growth of the coaching center industry in urban areas.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Surat_fire"
  title: 2019 Surat fire
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
peoplesVoice:
- source: Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister of Gujarat
  voiceType: official
  context: State leadership responding to the tragedy hours after the fire was extinguished on May 24, 2019.
  excerpt: This is a very tragic incident. We have ordered a high-level inquiry and assured all possible help to the bereaved families. The building will be sealed and a detailed investigation initiated.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 85
  attribution: Press statement, May 24, 2019
  publishedAt: 2019-05-24
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Dr. B.S. Mehta, Fire Safety Expert
  voiceType: expert
  context: Safety official analyzing the immediate cause and systemic failures that enabled the catastrophe.
  excerpt: The short circuit ignited combustible material on the ground floor. But the real killer was the absence of fire exits, inadequate ventilation, and students locked in on the terrace. This was preventable negligence.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 80
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Indian media interviews, May 25, 2019
  publishedAt: 2019-05-25
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Local resident witness (name withheld, Sarthana area resident)
  voiceType: consumer
  context: Eyewitness account from someone in the vicinity during the evacuation chaos on the afternoon of May 24.
  excerpt: We heard screams. Students were jumping from the terrace, some fell. There was no organised evacuation plan, no fire brigade at first. It was complete chaos - these were children.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 75
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - News reports, May 24-25, 2019
  publishedAt: 2019-05-24
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Hardevsinh Jadeja, Gujarat Home Minister
  voiceType: official
  context: Government response addressing accountability and building safety violations on May 25, hours after death toll confirmed at 22.
  excerpt: Our investigation will determine how this coaching centre was permitted to operate from a commercial building with such hazardous conditions. Heads will roll if regulations were violated.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 72
  attribution: Press conference, May 25, 2019
  publishedAt: 2019-05-25
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Parents' advocacy group representative
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Emerging voice of grieving families demanding systemic reform days after the fire revealed catastrophic safety lapses.
  excerpt: Coaching centres operate in violation of building codes across all major cities. 22 children died because nobody was enforcing safety rules. This will happen again unless we act now.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 70
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Indian media statements, May 26, 2019
  publishedAt: 2019-05-26
  originalLanguage: en
impactStatement: "The Surat fire killed 22 students—most of them teenagers preparing for competitive exams—in a space that violated every basic safety code. The disaster became a referendum on India's coaching industry: a largely unregulated, high-stakes education market where landlords prioritize density over exits, and regulators look the other way. It forced conversations about fire safety standards that had been dormant for years."
categories: []
taxonomy:
domain: environmental
eventTypes:
- natural_disaster
canonicalClasses:
- collapse
- conflict
impactRadius: national
velocity: sudden
predictability: black_swan
intentionality: accidental
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: death
metaDescription: "May 2019: Fire kills 22 students at Surat coaching center. Exposed safety failures in India's exam prep industry."
wikidataQid: Q64009002
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20190626221116/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Surat_fire"
  capturedAt: 2019-06-26
  label: 2019 Surat fire
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Surat_fire"
