Madhya Pradesh’s capital, Bhopal, witnessed a massive fire that broke out in Satpura Bhawan, a multi-storyed building that houses government offices. The fire became a matter of political concern, with the opposition Congress launching a series of allegations against the ruling BJP government. Congress MLA Jitu Patwari and former PCC Chief Arun Yadav accused the government of setting the fire to destroy evidence before the upcoming elections. However, the cause of the fire is thought to be a short circuit in the air conditioning unit, and an inquiry will be conducted into the incident.
Fortunately, there were no casualties as the officers and employees were immediately evacuated from the building. Several firefighters were engaged in controlling the fire, and the Chief Minister himself monitored the situation. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan talked to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, seeking necessary help to douse the fire. IAF’s AN 32 and Mi-15 aircraft were sent to Bhopal for the operation.
Madhya Pradesh Health Minister Prabhuram Chaudhary called the incident unfortunate and assured that the administration is engaged in controlling the fire. An inquiry will be conducted into the incident, and a committee comprising officials will find out the preliminary causes of the fire.
The actual damage caused by the fire will be assessed only after finding the causes. The political parties have not stopped their accusations, and it remains to be seen how the situation pans out. The incident has once again highlighted the need for strict safety measures in government buildings to prevent such accidents.
