A major fire broke out on the fourth floor of Lok Nayak Bhawan, which houses several government offices, on Monday evening. No one was injured, said the police.
Short circuit suspected
The fire, which broke out around 4 p.m., is suspected to have been triggered by a short circuit in an air conditioner inside the office of the Income Tax Settlement Commission, said a senior Fire Department officer. “We received a call at 4:01 p.m. after which 26 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Though the blaze damaged the fourth floor the most, the third and fifth floors were also affected,” said the officer, adding that the fire was doused around 6:30 p.m.
Safety issues raised
K. Vishwanathan, who works with the National Commission of Minorities on the fifth floor, said he and around 100 others were safely evacuated from Gate No. 1 of the premises, which has two other exits. “Thick smoke had filled our floor. Thankfully, no one was hurt,” he said.
Expressing concern over safety, Mr. Vishwanathan alleged that this was the third time a fire had broken out in the 32 years he had been working here. “This building is not safe in case of natural calamities as well,” he alleged.
Located in Khan Market, Lok Nayak Bhawan has offices of the Enforcement Directorate, Department of Personnel and Training, and National Commission of Scheduled Castes, among others.
