A major fire broke out at the AC plant of Parliament House on Sunday afternoon. Police sources have suspected welding work in the plant as the cause of the fire. The plant is completely gutted but no one was hurt and the main Parliament building has not been affected. Delhi Fire Service Director AK Sharma said prima facie it appeared to be a case of negligence as the safety norms were not followed in the maintenance work.
The Fire department got a call at 2:21 pm and ten fire tenders were rushed to the spot to bring the blaze under control. There were no injuries, fire officials said. Thick black smoke was seen billowing above the red sandstone boundary wall of the 88-year-old Parliament complex as the flames raged a few hundred metre away from the main building which suffered no damage.
“10 fire tenders, including two hydraulic platforms, under the supervision of a deputy chief fire officer were rushed to the spot and the fire was brought under control within half an hour. By 2.50 pm, it was completely doused. No one was injured,” Sharma said. Police sources said they would enquire into the cause and circumstances of the incident and subsequently responsibility would be fixed. Joint Commissioner of Police (New Delhi Range) MK Meena said that they had initiated a probe into the incident and would be looking into all the aspects.
“We have initiated an enquiry into the matter. We will look into all aspects, including the cause and circumstances of the fire, and take action against those found responsible,” Meena said. Besides, the Home Ministry also sought a report on the incident. President Pranab Mukherjee expressed serious concern over the fire and asked for an urgent enquiry into its cause. This was the second case of fire inside the complex in the last couple of days as a minor fire was reported in the AC wiring at gate number 5 on Thursday.
The AC power plant is on the periphery of the Parliament complex near gate number 8, on the right side of the reception area. Meanwhile, lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has also expressed deep concern over the incident and asked for a detailed report. She has also ordered for complete checking of the existing wirings, fittings and equipments.
“The cause of fire was welding which was going on for some maintenance work. Since the Parliament is currently not in session, maintenance work was going on at the AC plant and the sparks caused by the welding led to the fire. There is an AC plant room in the open, its PVC material coating insulation had caught fire,” said the Fire Service Director.
“It is a subject matter of investigation whether safety measures were put in place or not. Prima facie it seems that precautions were not taken. My job was of the respondent. Now it is up to the police and Parliament authorities to probe it,” Sharma added. Police and security personnel quickly cordoned off the area as onlookers and media crew flocked to the high-security zone in the heart of the national Capital.
Sharma said that there was no delay in responding to the fire as Parliament House is a sensitive area. “One fire engine remains stationed inside the Parliament complex. Our men were informed through wireless message and the fire tender was instantly at work. In addition to this fire tenders were rushed from our Rakabgunj and Connaught Place fire stations,” Sharma said.