[ad_1]
At the request of the household, officers haven’t launched the identify of the deceased, who was from India and was learning enterprise analytics. He got here to the college in Sydney, Nova Scotia, in September 2021.
Cape Breton Regional Municipality deputy fire chief Gilbert MacIntyre informed The PIE News that emergency staff acquired a seemingly simple name on December 17 a few blaze in a rubbish can on the again porch of the home. However, the fire shortly unfold inside and the construction crammed with smoke.
MacIntyre mentioned that when fire crews arrived the opposite college students residing there have been gathered outdoors. “They yelled out to the firefighters, ‘We haven’t seen our friend. He’s staying on the third floor.’”
While a number of the crew put out the fire on the again porch, others went to the entrance door, the deputy chief mentioned. “They found a high level of heat and heavy smoke and entered the building,” he mentioned.
Firefighters climbed the steps to the second ground of the three-storey construction. “They discovered the student’s body on the second floor – he had made it down there from the top floor but was overcome by smoke,” MacIntyre mentioned.
The deputy chief mentioned that the constructing was a “company house” constructed by former metal and coal mining companies to accommodate staff. These homes have been constructed about 100 years in the past.
Eight international college students have been residing in the small home, hooked up to an adjoining duplex. All of the scholars have been left homeless as a result of blaze, as was a household of 5 in the home subsequent door.
“Landlords are increasing rents and it’s very hard to manage the cost as an international student”
“Regretfully, Cape Breton University can confirm the passing of one of our students in a recent fire… As we grieve together, there are a variety of services that have been made available to students, faculty and staff, including grief counselling,” the university mentioned in a press release.
“We are also supporting students who are currently displaced by the fire.”
“There is such a shortage of housing that students have to share bedrooms with other students,” Damanpreet Singh, president of the student union on the university, informed The PIE.
“Landlords are increasing rents and it’s very hard to manage the cost as an international student.”
The student union organized for the homeless college students to remain at a neighborhood motel and supplied them with donated meals and clothes. Most have since discovered everlasting housing however a pair are nonetheless residing on the motel.
Last month, Cape Breton University, citing a housing scarcity, informed international college students that they need to defer coming to Canada until they’d confirmed lodging. It additionally introduced plans to construct new residences by benefiting from a $5 million grant from the Nova Scotia authorities.
“The new housing is good but it will take time before it’s available,” Singh famous.
The university introduced that it’s capping enrolment on its two-year publish baccalaureate enterprise diploma program, which is well-liked with international college students.
[ad_2]
Summary from unique hyperlink at:
