NEW DELHI: A serious fire broke out in a government building in the Capital Thursday morning gutting one of its wing which houses part of the agriculture ministry.
Thirty six fire tenders were immediately rushed to the scene to fight the blaze that started at 0707 hours (local time) on the second floor of ‘Shastri Bhavan.
When the fire tenders reached the site, the floor housing the directorate of statistics and extension of the ministry of agriculture was ablaze, with flames leaping out of the windows, a senior fire officer said.
The officer said there was evidence that the fire had been smouIdering since Wednesday evening and had burst into flames early Thursday morning.
Firemen had to break the windows of the second floor to aim their hoses into the building. The entire floor had been divided into cubicles with wooden partitions and this further hampered their efforts, he added.
A leading fireman was seriously injured when he fell from the second floor of the building while battling the fire.
While the second floor was totally charred, the first floor and ground floor have escaped any major damage. Most of the records and statistical data in the extension offices have also been destroyed in the blaze that was brought under control in about an hour’s time.
MPs concerned
Agitated members in both houses of parliament expressed serious concern over the spate of fires in their capital in the past few days.
They said there were apprehensions that the fires were a result of sabotage.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 11, 1990
