Some records and office equipment were destroyed in a fire which broke out in one of the rooms of the third floor of the Haryana Civil Secretariat at Sector 17 in Chandigarh on Sunday. The cause of the fire could not be ascertained. Many documents and furniture kept in the room are burnt, said Dilip Singh, Fire Station Officer, Sector 17, Chandigarh while talking to The Pioneer.

Singh said that a fire call was received around 4.15 pm in the Department office, following which fire engines rushed to the spot from the Fire Station, Sector 17, and other Fire Stations of the city. The Fire Department officials put their efforts to control the fire. It took five fire tenders nearly 60 minutes to put out the flames in one of the rooms of the third floor of the Secretariat building, he said, adding that no one was injured in the incident. The office, in which it broke out, was closed due to Sunday, he added.

The Fire Station Officer said that the reason behind the fire was not immediately known. “We will prepare a report about the incident. We will find out what caused the fire and whether there was any violation of the fire safety bylaws,” said the officer.

According to a preliminary inquiry, being Sunday, no employees were there. The room of the Secretariat was closed when the fire broke out, the Fire Station Officer added.

He further said that only one room was damaged in the fire, the rest of the building is safe to use. Records, office equipment were damaged in the fire. “On the direction of a senior officer, a special investigation team will be formed to find out the cause of the fire and assess the damage caused by it,” said another Fire Station officer.