The Hindu : Karnataka News : Fire at Vidhana Soudha creates panic

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 18, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Fire at Vidhana Soudha creates panic

Staff Reporter

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Controlled: Fire and Emergency Services service personnel putting out the fire that broke out at Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore on Tuesday.

BANGALORE: It was a “fiery” session but outside the Assembly Hall of the Vidhana Soudha. An accidental fire that caught both security personnel and legislators off guard destroyed computers and furniture in the Internet server room of the Finance Department, located on the second floor of the Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday.

The police said that around 11.15 a.m., following an electric short circuit, fire broke out in room number 203-A, which houses the office of Deputy Secretary, Finance Department. The room is located next to the chambers of the Minister for Cooperation G.T. Deve Gowda.

Computers, electrical and electronic gadgets, telephones, furniture and huge quantity of cables that were stored in the room were gutted. The walls and roof of the room were charred. However, no one was injured. As thick smoke started billowing out of the room, there was panic at the highly secured Vidhana Soudha for some time. The police closed the two gates on the second floor and prevented people from crowding near the room. Both the Houses of Legislature were in session when the incident took place.

Joint Director of Fire Services Chengappa told The Hindu that electric short circuit occurred after water from a wash basin fell on the electrical equipment. The police and Fire Service personnel at the Vidhana Soudha put out the fi re using portable extinguishers, adopting mist technology, he said.

Files not destroyed

Special Correspondent adds:

Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Govind Karjol later informed the Legislative Assembly that no files had been damaged in the fire.

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