Minor fire at Delhi`s Shastri Bhavan, probe begins

Zee Media Bureau/Ritesh K Srivastava

New Delhi: A minor fire was reported at the capital`s Shastri Bhavan on Wednesday. According to initial reports, the fire broke out at the 7th floor of the building, which houses several important government offices. The cause of the fire, which broke out around 9.40 am, is yet to be known. At least nine fire brigade teams were rushed to the spot to douse the fire. The situation is said to be under control and the fire has been doused. "We are yet to ascertain the reason behind the fire. No casualties have been reported so far," a fire service official told reporters. The official added that the floor has been evacuated. Named after India`s second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, this large, sprawling building houses a number of Ministries of Government of India like Human Resources Development, Law & Justice, Information & Broadcasting, Corporate Affairs, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Culture, Women & Child Development, Youth Affairs, Coal etc. Meanwhile, forensic experts have been called in to investigate whether the fire was deliberately started.