Laboratory equipment and other property were gutted after a massive fire broke out in the chemistry lab of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR) Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur, in the wee hours of Sunday. However, no loss of life has been reported in the incident.
The fire department rushed two fire engines from Palampur to the IBHT campus. However, given the severity of the situation, a third fire engine was summoned from Baijanth.
It took firefighters 3-4 hours to douse the flames. Palampur deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Gurbachan Singh said the police was informed about the fire incident after midnight.
He said a watchman noticed the fire and informed the IHBT authorities who then called the fire department and the police.
A police team and firefighters rushed to the spot immediately, said Singh. He said prima facie short-circuit was said to be the reason behind the fire.
However, the exact reason will be known after a thorough investigation, said the DSP. He said the loss is being estimated and it may run into crores. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the IHBT authorities are likely to constitute a committee for an internal investigation into the incident.