NEW DELHI: One person died and six others were injured in a fire that broke out at the Income Tax CR Building in central Delhi’s ITO on Tuesday. Over 200 people were present in the building at the time but the timely intervention of Delhi Fire Service saved lives.
The name of a 46-year-old office superintendent who died has been withheld on the request of the family to the cops.
Around two dozen fire tenders and 100 firefighters worked for over two hours to extinguish the blaze that started around 2.30pm and was brought under control by 5pm.
On X, the income tax department posted details of the incident, saying that the fire broke out in room no. 325 and its adjoining room, both primarily used for administrative purposes, on the third floor. “Immediate evacuation was carried out and the fire brigade was promptly called. No physical records have been damaged. There was no data loss as all income tax returns are being filed online and all related proceedings are also being conducted electronically,” the post said.
The cause of the blaze is being ascertained. “Unfortunately, an office superintendent was trapped by smoke and lost his life despite the best efforts to save him. The Income Tax Department extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family and is extending every assistance to the family in this hour of grief,” the X post said.
The preliminary investigation suggests that a blast in an AC compressor caused the fire. The fire started in an office that was closed. The combustible materials present in the building helped the flames to spread rapidly.
The ground-plus-four-floor building has centralised air conditioning but no smoke management system. “Without a vent, the smoke quickly spread throughout the building, filling the third floor first, then engulfing the second, first and finally the ground floor,” a fire officer revealed.
When the fire service received information about the inferno, it sent fire tenders one after another. “We found that only the third floor was affected, and the fire was not allowed to spread,” said a fireman.
Police said they had filed an FIR under Section 304A (causing death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code and have begun investigation. DFS is conducting its own inquiry too. The forensic teams have inspected the spot and will likely submit a report soon.
The incident led to a major traffic jam at ITO. The IPL match at the nearby stadium only added to the motorists’ woes. Many office goers were stuck for a long time at the spot.
The name of a 46-year-old office superintendent who died has been withheld on the request of the family to the cops.
Around two dozen fire tenders and 100 firefighters worked for over two hours to extinguish the blaze that started around 2.30pm and was brought under control by 5pm.
On X, the income tax department posted details of the incident, saying that the fire broke out in room no. 325 and its adjoining room, both primarily used for administrative purposes, on the third floor. “Immediate evacuation was carried out and the fire brigade was promptly called. No physical records have been damaged. There was no data loss as all income tax returns are being filed online and all related proceedings are also being conducted electronically,” the post said.
The cause of the blaze is being ascertained. “Unfortunately, an office superintendent was trapped by smoke and lost his life despite the best efforts to save him. The Income Tax Department extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family and is extending every assistance to the family in this hour of grief,” the X post said.
The preliminary investigation suggests that a blast in an AC compressor caused the fire. The fire started in an office that was closed. The combustible materials present in the building helped the flames to spread rapidly.
The ground-plus-four-floor building has centralised air conditioning but no smoke management system. “Without a vent, the smoke quickly spread throughout the building, filling the third floor first, then engulfing the second, first and finally the ground floor,” a fire officer revealed.
When the fire service received information about the inferno, it sent fire tenders one after another. “We found that only the third floor was affected, and the fire was not allowed to spread,” said a fireman.
Police said they had filed an FIR under Section 304A (causing death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code and have begun investigation. DFS is conducting its own inquiry too. The forensic teams have inspected the spot and will likely submit a report soon.
The incident led to a major traffic jam at ITO. The IPL match at the nearby stadium only added to the motorists’ woes. Many office goers were stuck for a long time at the spot.