Student jumps from third-floor window when dorm catches fire, Texas officials say

When the third floor of a college dorm building in Texas caught fire, a student jumped from a third-floor window, according to media reports.

The student is believed to have a “serious leg injury,” KTRK reported, and was unable to walk on her own when she was taken to a hospital.

She is one of three Prairie View A&M University students injured during the fire reported shortly before 6 a.m. April 20, according to KPRC. The other two students were taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation treatment.

Those two students were “rescued from a ledge” of the building, KTRK reported. Other students were working to get mattresses down on the ground to help protect their falls, but Prairie View firefighters responded before they needed to jump.

“The building was evacuated, and all building residents were accounted for by the professional staff on the scene,” a university spokesperson told McClatchy News. “Our Student Affairs team is working diligently to assist impacted students with relocation arrangements.”

A police officer who helped evacuate students was also treated for smoke inhalation, KPRC reported.

The cause of the fire, which was contained to one hallway, is under investigation, according to KTRK.

Prairie View A&M is about 45 miles northwest of Houston.

This story was originally published April 20, 2022 at 10:24 AM.