Fire breaks out in basement of Gujarat secretariat building in Gandhinagar

A fire erupted in the basement of a Gujarat state secretariat building in Gandhinagar on Monday morning, with the source of the blaze still unknown, officials reported. The Gandhinagar Fire and Emergency Services were alerted at 7:50 am about the incident occurring in Block 9 of the New Sachivalaya, situated in Sector 10. The fire was swiftly contained within an hour, although smoke continued to billow from the scene.

The building houses various government departments including the State Election Commission, Narmada, water resources, water supply, women and child development, and Kalpasar (Gulf of Khambhat Development Project).

Despite the fire's containment, thick and toxic smoke from the underground chamber hindered the rescue efforts, obscuring the exact origin of the fire, according to officials. The basement of Block 9 once stored old records of the respective departments. However, no significant records were reported destroyed. The government confirmed that the basement's contents suffered partial damage in the incident.

The Narmada, water resources, water supply, and Kalpasar departments assured that no crucial, sensitive, or confidential government records were lost. All files, including government records, have been safely digitized under a good governance initiative, ensuring their preservation.

Firefighters donning oxygen masks and breather kits utilized industrial-grade fans to mitigate the smoke emanating from the basement. The cooling process and fire investigation are currently ongoing. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported in the fire, according to officials.