A terrible fire broke out in the School of Planning and Architecture building in central New Delhi on Monday morning. Initially, the fire was reported to have broken out at the Ministry of Education office in the same premises, but the authorities later denied the claim. The opposition Congress questioned the suspected link between the recent exam irregularities and the fire in Delhi. However, the fire was doused and no one was injured in the incident.
According to Delhi Fire Brigade sources, eight fire engines were dispatched to the spot after receiving a call at 9.37 am. A fire broke out in the teachers’ room in the administrative department on the second floor of the SPA building. An employee of the organization saw smoke and fire coming out of the administrative department and immediately informed the IP Estate police station. The police immediately sent a local team to the spot to speed up rescue operations. Three ambulances, two police cars and traffic police were deployed to ensure emergency services and public safety inside the premises.
Meanwhile, the fire brigade initially said that there was a fire in the office of the Ministry of Education. Veteran Congress leader Jairam Ramesh expressed concern over the news of the fire amid controversy over examination irregularities in the country. He described the incident as “very disturbing and suspicious” on social media. However, the police and administration quickly extinguished the fire and the situation calmed down after the truth of the incident was revealed. After multiple attempts, the fire was brought under complete control and there is no active fire in the building, a police official said. The situation is currently under the control of the administration but the authorities have already started a formal investigation to find out the exact cause of the fire.