Lucknow: A major fire broke out at Jawahar Bhawan, which houses several important govt offices, in Lucknow on Monday morning, triggering a large-scale rescue operation in which around 150 people were evacuated.The fire broke out around 9.50am on the 4th floor of the multistorey building on the busy Ashok Marg, which is barely 1km away from Hazratganj and 2km from UP Vidhan Bhawan.There was no casualty or injury, but the soaring smoke was visible from as far as 2km. The fire brought traffic on the busy route to a halt amid the rescue operation.The fire department doused the fire in one hour after deploying 18 fire tenders and six smoke extractors. Twenty firemen wearing anti-smoke gears entered the building to douse the flames.The building houses offices of govt departments such as treasury; food and civil supplies; legal services authority; malaria; and other administrative offices.According to fire officials, the blaze originated in the meeting hall area on the fourth floor of the treasury office after a short-circuit in the auditorium’s electrical junction box. The fire quickly spread across the fourth and fifth-floor sections including the canteen, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky , causing panic among employees and residents in the vicinity.Within five minutes of receiving the distress call, fire engines from the Hazratganj fire station reached the building. As the magnitude of the blaze became apparent, additional firefighting units from across Lucknow were summoned.Firefighters surrounded the building from all sides and used the building’s hydrant system to maintain a continuous water supply. Officials said the spread of the fire was contained within about 20 minutes, preventing it from engulfing other floors or adjoining buildings. The operation continued for nearly an hour before the blaze was completely extinguished.During the firefighting operation, a portion of the parapet wall on the rooftop collapsed, narrowly avoiding a major tragedy as no one was standing beneath it. Water was sprayed from the rooftop of an adjacent building to access portions of the fire that were difficult to reach.Chief fire officer, Ankush Mittal, said the department responded within five minutes of receiving the emergency call and mobilised sufficient resources to prevent the fire from spreading beyond the affected section.ADG, fire services, Padmaja Chauhan confirmed there was no casualty and no one was injured. She added that the exact cause of the fire would be established after a detailed inspection of the affected area.
