PUNE : Official on Wednesday informed that the question paper sets of various subjects for the Class 12 (Higher Secondary Examination) of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) were gutted when the truck carrying the papers from Madhya Pradesh to Maharashtra caught fire in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.
Class 12 examination has been scheduled between 4 March and 30 April and practical will be held from 14 February to 3 March.
Earlier on 3 February, the state board had refused to conduct online board exams despite demands from students to cancel the physical examinations due to Covid-19 situation.
"A truck carrying the question paper sets of Class 12 suddenly caught fire near Sangamner ghat in Ahmednagar district. The boxes containing question papers of various subjects were destroyed due to the blaze and later lay scattered on the road," board's chairperson, Sharad Gosavi, said.
Ahmednagar Superintendent of Police Manoj Patil said the incident took place around 7 am. "As per the preliminary information, smoke started billowing from the truck when it was moving. The driver and other occupants jumped out. Soon, the truck caught fire and the paper sets were gutted," he said.
After being informed about the blaze, the police and fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire, he said.
