New Delhi/Oct,17:A fire broke out in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in early Tuesday morning but controled within twenty milinutes. An online news web portal based in Delhi reported that ten fire tenders were rushed to South Block, Raisina Hills to douse the fire, and fire was controlled within 20 minutes. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. There were no reports of any injuries.
The fire occurred at around 3.30 am in room number 242 located on the second floor of the PMO in the Secretariat building. Authorities are assessing the scope of damage caused due to the fire. More details are awaited.
South Block comprises the PMO as well as the key ministries of Defence and External Affairs, as well as the office of the National Security Advisor, Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Secretary.
A similar fire incident occurred in South Block last year on the upper ground floor of the PMO, in a conference room.
Over the years, there have been several such accidents in government buildings in the national capital. The most recent was the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal’s office at Lok Nayak Bhawan. Though no casualty was reported, prima facie, it appeared that a short circuit in the compressor of an air-conditioning unit, installed inside the cafeteria on the fourth floor, caused the fire. The building, which houses the Enforcement Directorate headquarters, also has offices of the CBI, Income Tax, and the National Disaster Response Force.
