The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Fire breaks out at IISc. laboratory

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 09, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Fire breaks out at IISc. laboratory

Staff Correspondent

Valuable documents and laboratory equipment destroyed

BIG LOSS: The Molecular Cell Biology laboratory on the Indian Institute of Science campus that was destroyed on Thursday night. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: A major fire broke out at the Molecular Cell Biology laboratory on the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) campus here late on Thursday night destroying valuable documents and laboratory equipment. Several students and research scholars working in the laboratory had a miraculous escape.

The fire was first noticed around 9.30 p.m. by the research scholars working in the other laboratories housed in the same building who immediately informed the security personnel. Some research scholars who were working in the laboratory had a miraculous escape, as they had locked the laboratory a few minutes before the fire erupted. Students said that they had gone out to have dinner.

The Molecular Cell Biology laboratory is located on the first floor of the building, which also houses 15 other laboratories in which around 150 students/faculty and research scholars work.

The false ceiling aided the fire to spread faster. Initial efforts of the students and security personnel to douse the fire using potable extinguisher did not help, and fire tenders were called in. According to some students, who were eyewitness to the fire, a few cylinders that had been stored in the laboratory burst after the fire engulfed the laboratory.

Sources said that six fire tenders were rushed to the spot from Munireddipalya, Yeshwanthpur, Peenya and Jayanagar. In all 42 fire fighting personnel struggled for over one and a half hour to douse the fire. Some of the students who had gathered in front of the laboratory assisted the fire fighters in salvaging whatever was left.

The chamber of Vijaya, the in-charge of the laboratory, was not affected by the fire as it was locked.

IISc.. Registrar Lalitha John told The Hindu that the extent of damage could be ascertained by Friday.

Sources in the Fire Department said that the fire could have been caused due to electrical short circuit as the electric lines were old or the chemical reactions in the laboratories could have fuelled the fire. Senior police officials also visited the spot.

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