Smoke billows from above the boundary wall of the Parliament House Complex.
Agencies/New Delhi
A blaze which erupted yesterday at the Parliament House brought firefighters rushing to the historic building in the centre of New Delhi.
Smoke was seen billowing from above the red sandstone boundary wall of the complex as police tried to clear the streets around the building.
Some 30 officers and 11 fire trucks were fighting the blaze which a top officer said started at 2.20pm and was contained about 20 minutes later.
“It is not yet fully doused. The fire appears to be surrounded by the (fire brigades) and it has not been allowed to spread,” Delhi Fire Service director A K Sharma told the NDTV network.
The fire damaged an air-conditioning plant adjacent to the reception area where welding work was in progress. No one was injured.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan sought a detailed report over the incident while President Pranab Mukherjee expressed “serious concern.”
This was the second incident of fire in the Parliament House complex in the last 10 days.
Sharma said the fire broke out in all the three units of the air-conditioning plant.
“Fire broke out in all the three units of the air-conditioning plant installed in an open park near the reception area outside gate No8 of parliament,” Sharma said.
“Welding work was being done at the AC plant. And it seems a spark might have fallen on some inflammable material which caused the fire,” he said.
“An inquiry is being conducted. However, no case has been registered so far,” Joint Commissioner of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena said.
Reacting to the incident, President Mukherjee said “the complete safety and security of the Parliament House complex must be ensured at all times.”
The imposing building, opened in 1927 and designed by British architect Edwin Lutyens, was closed yesterday with few staff thought to be inside.
