Kashmir's top school burns down

Kashmir’s oldest school burned down today in a suspected arson attack which sparked emotional street protests.

The school has educated the region’s most prominent and influential people for generations.

The Islamia High School, a century-old brick and wood structure with large windows set in the heart of Srinagar, was gutted in the fire that broke out early today, police said.

“We suspect mischief. It doesn’t seem to be an accident,” a police spokesman said.

News of the arson sent shockwaves through the city, and people went out into the streets and shut down shops in an emotional outpouring.

No one immediately claimed responsibility.

The school is run by a religious and educational trust headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kasmir’s highest Islamic leader, who has been targeted in recent months by suspected Islamic militants. Farooq’s uncle was killed by attackers and his home attacked with a grenade last month.

“The school was Kashmir’s first step towards modernity,” said a tearful Ashraf Andrabi, an engineer and a former student. “It has been the alma mater of everybody who has been anybody in Kashmir.”