A small fire that broke out at British school Doha College yesterday morning may have been started deliberately, officials are saying.

In an email sent to all parents yesterday and forwarded to Doha News, Headmaster Mark Leppard says that the fire is being treated as a deliberate criminal act, carried out by at least one member of the school’s community.

The fire broke out in the school’s “ICT block” at 10:15 am yesterday.

Civil Defense officials were called immediately, but the school’s maintenance team and fire warden managed to extinguish the fire before they arrived. All students and staff were evacuated successfully, and there were no injuries.

Student exams were scheduled in other parts of the school campus at 10.45 am and 11.00 am yesterday morning, and these were able to go ahead as planned, Leppard tells parents in the email. 

He continues:

This is utterly unacceptable and will be dealt with. When we find the person or persons who carried out this act they will be permanently excluded and passed to the police. 

Doha College declined to comment, citing the ongoing police investigation.

One parent of a student there, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her child’s identity, told us how some in the DC community are feeling:

“There’s a lot of anger and upset over the fire. It’s the what- ifs…..The exam kids, the Villaggio fire anniversary around the corner. We’re all understandably sad.”

Tuesday, May 28, is the anniversary of the fire at Villagio which claimed the lives of 19 people – 13 children, four teachers and two firefighters.

Do you have children at Doha College? Thoughts?

Credit: Photo from the Doha College Alumni page on Facebook