Bhopal10 hours ago
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The fire that broke out at Satpura Bhawan, the second largest government office of the Madhya Pradesh government in Bhopal, at around 3.30 pm on Monday could be completely extinguished by 12 noon on Tuesday. By 8 am on Tuesday, the team had brought the fire under control, but smoke was rising from the 6th floor. The fire broke out again at 9.25 am on the same floor. Earlier, Bhopal Collector Ashish Singh had informed about the complete control of the fire. Tuesday was a holiday in government offices operating in Satpura Bhawan. The General Administration Department had issued orders in this regard.
On the other hand, the State Human Rights Commission has sent notices to Bhopal Collector Ashish Singh, Commissioner Malsingh Bhadiya and Municipal Corporation. In this, a reply has been sought in three weeks on the incident of fire. The commission has raised the question that there are 80% firefighters in the corporation’s fire brigade? Why did Amla look helpless while extinguishing the fire? The main reason for not controlling the fire was untrained fire fighters and incomplete outdated resources. Why so?
Earlier, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a review meeting at CM House at 10 am regarding the incident. Health Minister Dr. Prabhuram Chaudhary told, ‘CM has constituted a high level committee for investigation.’ On Congress’s allegations, he said, ‘There were no such important documents that such work could be done. Congress’s allegations are baseless. More than 4000 employees work in Satpura Bhavan, why would anyone do such a conspiracy.
The investigation committee inspected the Satpura building
The High Level Committee constituted on the instructions of the Chief Minister is probing the incident. The committee headed by Rajesh Rajoura, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, inspected the third to sixth floor of Satpura Bhavan on Tuesday. During this, experts from Electrical Safety, E&M wing of PWD and Forensic Science Lab (FSL) were also present. The FSL team took about half a dozen samples from here. The statements of the employees and officers were also taken. Rajaura said, ‘The team will visit again tomorrow. We will make our report public after three days.
Video of fire surfaced
Another video of the fire in Satpura building has come to the fore. It has been built from the building opposite Satpura Bhawan. It is being told that this is the first video of the fire incident, which was made at around 3:30 pm on Monday. It is seen that the fire started from the air conditioner on the third floor. Had it been controlled in time, the fire would not have spread so much.
The High Level Inquiry Committee constituted on the instructions of the CM has started the investigation. The team reached Satpura Bhawan again after morning at 1 pm. The committee will submit its inquiry report in 3 days.
Home Minister said – Employees will start work from tomorrow, alternative arrangements should be made
Home Minister Narottam Mishra said, ‘It is not possible to destroy documents in the digital age. It will take some time, but soon the full backup will be created. Alternate offices will start from this evening. Employees will start work from tomorrow. Said on Congress’s allegation – how will someone take petrol-kerosene. Congress does politics on accidents.
The delegation of Congress MLAs was not allowed inside the Satpura Bhavan by the police. Angered by this, the Leader of the Opposition and other leaders sat on a dharna there.
Updates…
- The Leader of the Opposition said – The policemen misbehaved with us. After this he, PC Sharma and other Congress leaders sat on a dharna.
- At 1.45 pm, the delegation of Congress MLAs reached with Leader of the Opposition Dr. Govind Singh. The police did not allow to enter.
- The high level inquiry committee constituted on the instructions of the CM reached Satpura Bhawan at 1 pm. The team will submit its investigation report in 3 days.
At 8 pm, the fire on the third, fourth and fifth floors was claimed to be under control. However, at this time the flames rising from the sixth floor were visible from a distance.
The investigation team said – it is too early to say anything
The team of officers constituted on the instructions of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reached Satpura Bhawan again at 1 pm for investigation. Earlier in the morning also the team had reached here. Then ACS Home Rajesh Rajoura, a member of the investigation team, said, ‘Preliminary assessment has been taken. It is too early to say anything on the reasons for the fire. Bhopal Collector Ashish Singh says, ‘Our priority was that there should be no loss of life and that the fire should not spread to the surrounding areas. CM monitored the incident. Army’s help was also taken from the central government. The fire is under control with the efforts of all agencies – Army, CISF, BHEL, Airport Authority.
100 army personnel and 4 fire fighters came
The government sought the help of the Army and the Air Force after the fire, which started from the tribal department’s office on the third floor of Satpura Bhavan’s western block, spread to the fourth, fifth and sixth floors. Around 9 pm on Monday night, about 100 soldiers from 10 army trucks along with 4 firefighters got involved in extinguishing the fire. To control the rapidly growing fire, army personnel sprayed water from different directions in the building with the fire engines of the municipal corporation and police administration. About 50 vehicles, more than 500 water tankers were engaged in extinguishing the fire.
When efforts to extinguish the fire failed, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sought the help of the Air Force from Defense Minister Rajnath Singh late at night. Two Air Force officers and 5 soldiers prepared the location-position report of Satpura Bhawan. Airforce officers stayed here till around 3 in the night. AN 32 aircraft and MI-15 helicopters were supposed to arrive in the night itself, but the helicopters did not turn up.
About 50 fire tenders were engaged in extinguishing the fire in Satpura Bhawan. SDERF and CISF teams also reached the spot.
More than 12 thousand files burnt to ashes
The government estimates that the fire started due to a short circuit and spread due to a blast in the AC compressor. There have been blasts in more than 30 AC compressors in the entire office. The fire started from the third floor of the building and had reached the sixth floor. There were about 1000 people in the building when the fire broke out. Many people were wounded in the stampede. It is being told that more than 12 thousand files kept in these 4 floors have been destroyed. Most of these files were related to the Medical Department. On Monday night, Home Minister Narottam Mishra, Health Minister Prabhuram Chaudhary and Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang reached the spot and took stock of the situation.
Now know which are the offices on the floor where the fire broke out.
The fire first broke out on the third floor of the Satpura building. On this floor there is the office of the Scheduled Tribe Regional Development Scheme. From here the fire reached the fourth, fifth and sixth floors. There are offices of the Directorate of Health on all these three floors.
The fire on the third floor reached the sixth floor.
Fire broke out from old furniture and papers
Interior decoration and renovation work was done in the health department a few months ago. During this, old wooden cupboards and other furniture were taken out on a large scale, which were kept in the Directorate of Health. The fire reached this waste material of wood. Because of this, the fire brigade personnel had to struggle to extinguish the fire.
Congress expressed apprehension of conspiracy
The Congress has expressed apprehension of a conspiracy behind the Satpura Bhavan fire. Former Minister Arun Subhash Yadav tweeted and said – Is there a conspiracy to burn the documents of scams on the pretext of fire?
PC Sharma said – the time of the government’s movement
Former minister PC Sharma has said that if there is a fire in the government record building before the elections in any state, then it means that the government has gone. Sins were removed. It is time for Shivraj ji and his government to move on.
KK Mishra, president of the Congress media department, tweeted and wrote – 15 days in advance I had expressed apprehension that the campaign of setting fire to government offices would start.
Atul Sharma of Aam Aadmi Party has said that questions are being raised due to the fire in Satpura Bhavan. He said that the fire started or was set. Before leaving the government, the evidence of all the irregularities and scams has been erased.
A fire broke out in an AC on the third floor of Satpura Bhavan at around 3.30 pm on Monday. Had it been extinguished, it would not have flared up so much.
The flames and smoke rising from the Satpura building were visible from a distance.
BJP said – Congress is doing politics
BJP’s state media in-charge Ashish Aggarwal has retaliated on the statement regarding the fire in Satpura Bhawan. He said- This is a character Congress in the form of a vulture. It enjoys doing politics on dead bodies. It’s fun to poke fun at an accidental fire. This in itself is sad. The Chief Minister himself is monitoring the fire to control it. Soon, the fire will be brought under control.
Congress’s allegations are baseless: Health Minister
Health Minister Dr. Prabhuram Chaudhary said on the allegations of Congress that it will be known later what is burnt? What has happened? Congress’s allegations are baseless. Congress people are saying that we already knew, so have they got it installed? Whatever it is, the Chief Minister has formed a committee of senior officers. Will come out in his investigation.
Employee stage will demonstrate for the demand of security
Madhya Pradesh Employees’ Forum will protest near Satpura Bhawan at 1 pm on Tuesday demanding safety of employees, security of government offices and judicial inquiry into the fire incident. Manch’s state president Ashok Pandey told that a memorandum will also be handed over to the Chief Minister.
There was a fire even 11 years ago
On June 25, 2012, a fire broke out on the fourth floor of Satpura Bhavan. Then there was the office of the Technical Education Department on this floor. Even then it was told that the fire was caused by a short circuit. In 2018 too, there was a fire in the same building.
Photos after Tuesday’s fire…
Everything was burnt including the furniture.
The investigation team reached after the fire was extinguished.
The fall ceiling work was gutted by the fire.
The office equipment was completely destroyed. The plaster of the walls got burnt and fell off.
Computer and printer burnt. Some files have been saved.
See the fire in Monday’s pictures…
More than 30 ACs in the building got blasted. This made the fire burn even more.
Furniture, documents, ACs were burnt on the third, fourth, fifth, sixth floors of Satpura Bhavan.
The employees were evacuated after the fire broke out. The entire building was evacuated.
Smoke filled the entire building. Fire brigade personnel kept extinguishing the fire.