A fire broke out in the office of the Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribe Welfare Department located on the second floor of Vindhyachal Bhawan in the Secretariat, Bhopal, on Thursday afternoon. The blaze was reportedly caused by welding work being carried out in the stroller area. Thick smoke billowed from the building, creating panic among employees who immediately evacuated the premises.

Upon receiving the information, three fire brigade vehicles and police teams rushed to the scene and managed to control the fire within 15 to 20 minutes. The quick action of the staff present at the time also helped in containing the flames before the fire brigade's arrival.

According to building in-charge Kamal Singh, the fire was promptly extinguished, and no significant damage or casualties were reported. However, the exact cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed, though initial suspicions point toward a short circuit due to ongoing renovation work.

This is not the first fire incident at Vindhyachal Bhawan. Previous fires in the building had also raised concerns, as reports suggested that important documents were damaged during those incidents.

In a separate incident, a fire broke out around 12 noon in the Gwalior Collectorate, damaging crucial documents across three government departments. The blaze affected the Treasury Department, Women and Child Development Department, and another unidentified office within the Collectorate.

The fire was triggered by a double phase fault (DP) in the transformer located behind the Collectorate, leading to a short circuit. The flames quickly spread, destroying documents, computers, furniture, CPUs, keyboards, and several important files.

Authorities confirmed that the fire caused significant damage to official records and equipment. Investigations are underway to assess the full extent of the losses and to determine any lapses in electrical maintenance that may have led to the incident.

Both incidents have raised concerns over fire safety measures in key government offices. While no casualties were reported in either case, the damage to critical records highlights the urgent need for improved fire prevention protocols and regular maintenance checks in government buildings.