New Delhi, March 6 : A CISF officer was killed and functioning of major government offices including the NCLAT, the SFIO and others located in the Antyodaya Bhawan in the CGO complex affected following a fire in the building on Wednesday morning.
The fire, that broke out on the fifth floor around 8.30 a.m., was brought under control by around 10.05 a.m.
by 25 fire tenders, which rushed to the spot after smoke and flames were noticed in the building, fire officials said.
However, a large amount of documents and government data were destroyed in the fire.
The blaze, which could have probably caused by a short circuit, according to a fire services official, damaged many rooms of the Disability Division of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on the fifth floor.
It also claimed life of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Sub-Inspector M.P.
Godara, who was on security duty there.
Found unconscious by fire fighters, he was rushed to the the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Trauma Centre where doctors declared him dead.
An ex-Indian Air Force serviceman who joined the CISF in 2008, Godara was a resident of Rajasthan's Churu and is survived by two sons.
Entry to the building was also stopped till further notice and the electricity supply cut in wake of the fire.
"Employees and other people working here were asked to vacate the building.
All the official meetings have been cancelled," a CISF personnel on security duty, told IANS, adding that there is no information when the work will resume.
According to an eyewitness, who works in Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in the ninth floor, the building was closed for nearly three hours before they were later were allowed to enter only to collect important documents and mark attendance.
Work in various offices in the building was hit.
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), which is one of the organisations with offices in the building, said on its website: "Due to a fire incident at Pt.
Deen Dayal Antyodaya Bhawan today morning, the Court proceedings of NCLAT shall remain suspended for today."
The NCLAT, formed for hearing appeals against the orders of National Company Law Tribunal(s) (NCLT), was on Wednesday scheduled to hear some important matters, including cases pertaining to Jyoti structures, Dishnet Wireless, Monnet Ispat and Liberty House.
It is not clear if the fire damaged important files kept in the tribunal office.
Officials said the damage assessment would take time as premises would have to be first inspected thoroughly.
But they said damage would be limited as the fire broke out on the fifth floor.
The NCLAT office is located on the third floor and the building houses other important government agencies, including the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) on its second floor.
Many other Central government offices, including a branch of the Indian Air Force, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and the Ministry of Forest also operate out of that building.
Atul Garg, Chief Fire Officer, told IANS that the Antyodaya Bhawan had earlier probably raised the safety concerns with the fire services but he could not confirm this.
"The prime reason (of the fire) could not be ascertained yet.
We are investigating the factors that lead to fire. However from sources present there, it was told to us that the fire broke out due to short circuit," Vipin Kental of Delhi Fire Service added.
--IANS
team-som/vd.
Source: IANS
