Arwah thanked the governor for his close follow-up of the incident and visiting the school within hours after the disaster. Arwah appreciated the commendable role played by the security and Civil Defense teams in putting out the fire within a record time. She also expressed profound grief over the death of two teachers — Reem Al-Nahar and Ghadeer Katoua — and conveyed condolences to their bereaved families. She especially thanked some parents who swung into action to rescue both students and staff members.
Speaking to Al-Madinah Arabic daily, Arwah vehemently denied allegations that the fire-ravaged school did not have necessary safety means. “The school building was in excellent condition with all the safety means in place, including emergency exits, fire sensors, and water hoses. Emergency exits can open only from inside. This is the case in all schools,” she said.
According to Arwah, engineering reports as well as certificates of all the concerned agencies are substantial evidence to disprove the allegations against the school complex and its officials. “We are keen on doing engineering maintenance at the school building every year. The building had flawless and full-fledged safety means and devices,” she said.
Arwah denied reports that the school building was old and in a dilapidated condition. “Even though the school building was constructed 20 years ago, we do proper maintenance of the entire structure every year. It was built in accordance with the engineering and architectural features and specifications of an educational complex,” she said while recalling the statements made by senior government officials vindicating her claims in this respect.
Referring to the precautionary measures taken by the school authorities, Arwah said: “The painful disaster happened on a cloudy day. In view of the fact that the school is situated in a region vulnerable to flooding in the event of rain, we sent students of KG and first three standards of the elementary school home well before finishing their class hours. Only a limited number of these students who were waiting for their parents remained at school when the fire broke out,” she said. “Similarly, we had conducted an emergency drill last Wednesday to evacuate students and staffers within two minutes in case of a disaster. However, the plan could not be implemented effectively because of the general panic that prevailed even among some elders, not to mention the case of small children.”
She also noted that a group of students rushed to the teachers’ room and closed the door after seeing the billowing of smoke. “When the fire started engulfing them, they opened the door and started running in between class rooms screaming for help. At that time, Civil Defense teams stormed into the classrooms after breaking window glasses,” she said.
She said the huge crowds on the roads leading to the school had virtually obstructed the rescue operation in a considerable way. “It was very difficult for the rescue teams to reach the spot and take the victims to hospitals,” she said.
Referring to the steps taken to heal the traumatic impact of the disaster on the students, Arwah said: “Together with parents, we are working to lessen the psychological effect on students. As afirst option, we have arranged a government building to avoid disruption of classes. Our teachers and administrative staff are available to serve them.”
The second option is allowing parents to take a decision on the future of their children by getting admission at some other private schools, she said while noting that arrangements had already been made with some other schools in this respect.
Arwah also noted that her first and foremost concern was to enable the students to continue their normal studies after getting rid of painful memories of this unfortunate mishap. “We have formed a specialist team, comprising educational counselors, psychologists and academics, not to cause the incident any mental and emotional disorders among them as well as to infuse in them confidence and new spirit. We are in constant touch with students and their parents to reassure their condition and help them rid of the traumatic stress,” she added.
