Kerala students lose key docus in Paris fire, seek govt help

Kochi: A fire that broke out in a rented accommodation in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris on Sunday night has left 13 students from Kerala in a dire situation. They have lost important documents, including passports, and have approached the Indian embassy for urgent assistance.
The first floor of the two-storied rental property at Le Blanc Mesnil, around 12 km from the centre of Paris, was gutted in the fire, while the ground floor was partially damaged. Luckily, no one was hurt. The students were relocated to temporary accommodation in the vicinity.
The Masters students, pursuing education at various institutions across Paris and surrounding areas, hail from Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Alappuzha, Kannur, Thrissur and Wayanad. They include seven girls. According to them, a preliminary police investigation indicated that an electrical short circuit led to the fire.
"The fire broke out around 11.30 pm after we returned from Easter festivities at a friend's residence. As we were getting ready for bed, there was a power outage, accompanied by sounds resembling rainfall on our rooftop. On checking, we noticed smoke rising but failed to comprehend the situation initially. We exited the building hastily after our friends from adjacent rooms alerted us. We were unable to retrieve any of our belongings -- documents, books and even clothes. Soon, flames consumed the entire first floor; a significant portion of the ground floor was also destroyed," Malini Krishnan from Aroor, who is doing a Masters in International Marketing, told TOI over the phone.
"Six of us have lost our passports, while others lost various other documents. One of us, Mary Alan from Ernakulam, was scheduled to return to Kerala this week. We are hopeful of assistance from the embassy," she said.
Karuna George, a member of the Sarva Malayali (SAMA) organisation in France, said the house owner had provided a week-long housing solution for the students, but there are worries about their academics and long-term accommodation arrangements. "The Malayali associations in this region currently offer monetary assistance to students and facilitate their interactions with the Indian embassy, as they are not proficient in French. A prompt intervention from the Indian govt will help," she said.