Fire at Ghaziabad Development Authority’s office, probe initiated

According to GDA officials, the conference room area was also damaged, but no vital records were lost as a result of the fire.

A major fire incident was averted in time at the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) headquarters on Tuesday morning. Around 9am, the staff witnessed smoke billowing out of the first floor of the administrative office and alerted the fire department officials.

According to GDA officials no vital records were lost as a result of the fire. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

By the time the smoke was observed, the fire had already started on the first floor, leading to damage to sofa sets, the false ceiling, fans and other material lying at the offices of vice-chairman, chief architect & town planner and the financial controller.

“As per our estimate, the fire had started nearly 30 minutes before it was spotted by the staff after the office was opened on Tuesday. There was presence of thick smoke, and as a result and it had engulfed the other floors of the building. We had to break the glass covering on the outside of the building and install fans, as exhaust, to billow out the smoke,” said Sunil Kumar Singh, chief fire officer, Ghaziabad.

According to GDA officials no vital records were lost as a result of the fire. The fire department roped in five fire tenders which doused the fire within a span of an hour.

“The cause seems to be a short circuit due to electrical equipment placed in the lobby area outside the vice-chairman’s office. No records were lost but there was damage to furniture and fixtures,” Singh added.

Meanwhile, the GDA officiating vice-chairman, Ravindra Godbole, has ordered an inquiry into the incident and constitution of a committee of officers who will submit report within three days.

“All our records related to property, land acquisition and engineering are placed on first floor and even ground floor. These records are placed in fire proof cabins and secured. The fire did not reach the record room areas. The committee of officials will submit a report to the vice-chairman within three days,” said Dayanand Prasad, officer on special duty (OSD), GDA.

The committee will be headed by the OSD, officers of maintenance and electrical department of the authority.