A day after Natural Museum for Natural History was destroyed in a major fire, a two-storey building was on Wednesday gutted in a fire at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar in North-West Delhi.
“No casualty has been reported yet although there is extensive damage to property,” said a senior police officer. The fire broke out on the top floor of the building used for storing tyres and plastic materials following which heavy smoke billowed out posing challenge for the firefighters as they attempted to douse the flames.
According to the fire officials, the incident was reported around 5 am and 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The blaze could only be controlled by 10 am after which cooling operation was started. “The exact cause of the fire is being ascertained although short circuit is believed to be the reason behind it,” added a police officer. Items worth crores have reportedly been destroyed in the fire.
On Monday around 1.40 am, a major fire broke out inside the National Museum for Natural History leaving besides thousands of flora and fauna specimens, a 160-million-year-old fossil of Indian dinosaur “Sauropod” in mere heap of ashes. Director of the Museum BVenugopal has sought police intervention to find out the main cause as reportedly, he feels the inferno was outcome of someone’s mischief.
“The Delhi Police had also registered a case under IPC Section 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house) against unnamed persons in connection with the incident,” a senior police official said.
Meanwhile, the Central Government said assessment of losses is going on and all efforts will be made to restore the items. “The assessment will come within a couple of days. Then we will be able to tell how much (of the items) can be restored. We will make all efforts,” Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said on the sidelines of an event.