Fire Extinguished at Delhi’s North Block, No Casualties

A fire at New Delhi’s North Block was extinguished on Monday after smoke prompted Delhi Fire Services to send six fire tenders. No casualties or injuries were reported, according to officials and reports on the response. Delhi Fire Services received a call about smoke at 11:10 a.m., an official said. The service dispatched six fire tenders to the government complex, which houses the Union ministries of Home Affairs and Finance. One report said the fire was doused by 11:25 a.m.; the fire service also said it had been extinguished. Accounts differed over what caught fire. The Delhi Fire Services account described a rooftop air-conditioning boiler catching fire while welding work was underway, and identified a short circuit as the reported trigger. Police-linked accounts instead described an old plastic water tank catching fire during rooftop renovation or repair work. Another account referred to a fibre tank in the building’s chiller plant. The precise object and cause were not established consistently in the reported accounts. A police officer said repair work was underway at the building and might have led to a minor fire. Another report said internal dismantling work was in...