The Satpura Bhawan in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, has been engulfed by a fire for over 40 hours now, with the fire brigade still working to douse the smouldering almirahs on the fourth and sixth floors of the building. The fire has filled the premises with the stench of burnt papers, plastic, and furniture, making it difficult for cops to breathe. The burnt offices have water everywhere, and the burnt documents are drenched as firefighters had used water to douse the fire. While the fire has been controlled, four to five fire brigades remain stationed on the premises.
A senior member of the probe committee appointed by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the fire spread rapidly due to a false ceiling and wood works in the offices. Visitors are coming to the building looking for officials, mostly unaware that offices situated there have been closed for two days. On Tuesday, two girls from Ujjain were seen running from pillar to post to contact officials in order to obtain their migration certificate.
The Satpura Bhawan, once buzzing with the clamor of thousands of officials and visitors, now stands in eerie silence. Despite the fire being controlled, smoke still emanates from the fourth and sixth floors of the building, making it difficult for officials to enter. The premises continue to have a large police presence, guarding the building while the fire brigade works to completely extinguish the flames.
