Madhya Pradesh: Satpura Bhawan fire doused after 13 hours of firefighting; triggers political heat
By Team Newsable | First Published Jun 13, 2023, 8:10 AM ISTAccording to officials, the fire broke out at approximately 4:00 pm on Monday on the third floor of the office building housing the Tribal Welfare Department. The cause is believed to be a short circuit in the AC, but an inquiry will be conducted to determine the exact reason.
A massive fire at housing government offices in Bhopal's Satpura Bhawan was finally doused on Tuesday (June 13) morning, after over 13 hours of firefighting. The blaze started on Monday evening around 4 pm. No casualties were reported as officials safely evacuated everyone before the fire spread.
Speaking to a news agency, Ashish Singh, District Collector, Bhopal said, "The fire has been brought under control. All agencies including CISF and Army came together to douse the fire and it has been controlled."
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According to officials, the fire broke out at approximately 4:00 pm on Monday on the third floor of the office building housing the Tribal Welfare Department. The cause is believed to be a short circuit in the AC, but an inquiry will be conducted to determine the exact reason. Fortunately, all department staff and officers were safely evacuated, avoiding any casualties.
Calling this incident as unfortunate, Madhya Pradesh Health Minister Prabhuram Chaudhary said that an inquiry will be conducted into the incident.
"It is an unfortunate incident. The administration is engaged in dousing the fire. CM also spoke with PM and all efforts are being made. A high-level inquiry will be conducted into the incident," he said.
After a fire broke out on the third floor of a building, it swiftly spread up to the sixth floor. Firefighters were immediately dispatched to the scene to extinguish the flames. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan contacted Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, requesting assistance from the Air Force.
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CM Chouhan also spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, informing him of the situation and seeking necessary aid. Following the Defence Minister's instructions, IAF's AN 32 and Mi-15 aircraft were dispatched to Bhopal for firefighting operations.
Meanwhile, taking to Twitter, Congress MLA Jitu Patwari said, "This is our health directorate. It is operated from the Satpura Bhawan in the state capital Bhopal. Today it caught fire again."
"CM Chouhan, my direct question is, whether the fire breaks out or has it been set? Because it is generally believed that the government does such 'action' to destroy the evidence before the elections. Now, the BJP should also tell who were the culprits in the old fire incident. How many people were punished?" he added.
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Former Pradesh Congress Committee President (PCC) Chief Arun Yadav tweeted, "Today, when Priyanka Gandhi attacked regarding the scams while addressing in Jabalpur, a huge fire broke out in the Satpura Bhawan in which important files were burnt to ashes."
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