New Delhi: A major fire in the FICCI building early on Tuesday morning completely destroyed the National Museum of Natural History in the Capital.
Six firemen were seriously injured while trying to contain the blaze. They were taken to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital where their condition is said to be stable.
On Tuesday morning, environment minister Prakash Javadekar visited the spot. “This is tragic, the Natural History Museum is a national treasure… the loss cannot be counted in rupees,” he said. The museum had been in existence since June 5, 1978.
The minister also said that he’s ordered a fire audit of 34 museums.
The fire was reported on the top floor auditorium of the FICCI building in Mandi House which was being renovated, and later spread to other floors, the fire official said. The Museum is located in the same building. The fire started between 1:30 am and 2 am. There’s no word yet on what caused the fire.
Fire officials say that 40 fire tenders were rushed to the spot.
“The building’s fire safety mechanisms were not working, still we controlled it within 2 hours,” said Rajesh Panwar, a fire officer.
