Fire breaks out at Delhi's School of Planning and Architecture; no injuries
A fire broke out at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in Delhi. No injuries or damage were reported. The fire department initially said the blaze was at a Education Ministry office, but the ministry later clarified the fire occurred on the SPA campus.
A minor fire broke out at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in central Delhi on Monday, prompting a swift response from the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) and police. No injuries or damage to property were reported, officials said.
The DFS initially said the blaze had broken out on the second floor of an office of the Ministry of Education located at the SPA campus on Vikas Marg in the ITO area. However, the ministry later clarified that the fire occurred on the SPA premises and not at any of its offices.
According to the DFS, a call about the fire was received at 9:37 am, following which eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The flames were brought under control within an hour after a sustained operation.
Police said a call was also received at the IP Estate police station, prompting a team to reach the campus. The caller, identified as SPA employee Saurabh Sharma, reported that smoke and flames were emanating from faculty rooms in the administrative block on the second floor of the building.
Apart from fire tenders, three ambulances, two PCR vans, traffic police personnel and local police teams were deployed as a precautionary measure.
Clarifying the location of the incident, the Ministry of Education said that its offices are located at Kartavya Bhavan-2 on Dr Rajendra Prasad Road, while the fire occurred at the SPA campus at Indraprastha Estate, Vikas Marg.
The ministry described the blaze as minor in nature and said it was quickly brought under control. "No loss of life or property has been reported," it said.
A police officer said the situation was fully under control and no active fire remained in the building. Authorities launched an inquiry to ascertain the exact cause of the incident.
[Update: An earlier version of this report, citing the Delhi Fire Service, stated that a fire had broken out at a Ministry of Education office on Vikas Marg. The fire department later clarified that the blaze occurred at the School of Planning and Architecture.]