The children, aged between 6 and 10, died when the thatched roof of the three-story, private Lord Krishna Middle School in Kumbakonam -- 350 km from Madras -- went up in flames July 16.

Police blamed dry coconut leaves used for fuel in the kitchen for sparking the fire. The fire then spread to the school's thatched roof, which collapsed on the children.

On July 17, state authorities ordered hundreds of schools with thatched roofs to close until they've built concrete ones.

The Japan Times Weekly: July 24, 2004
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