TALLINN, November 14 (BNS) - An electrical panel caught fire in the basement of a school in Maardu on Friday afternoon, forcing the evacuation of the children.

At 12:27 p.m., the emergency center received a report that an electrical panel was smoking in the basement of the school on Noore Street and that children were being evacuated, a spokesperson for the Rescue Board told BNS. By the time rescuers arrived, the classrooms were already empty. The children who had been evacuated outside were directed to the school's sports hall.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze. A section of the school building that had filled with thick smoke was ventilated.

No children or staff members were injured. The school day was cut short due to the fire. Parents were notified of the incident, and the children were sent home. Electricians, school management, and representatives of the local municipality remained at the scene to manage the situation.

LLM assisted translation