Fire in Maharashtra government headquarters

Mumbai : A minor fire broke out in Mantralaya, the Maharashtra government headquarters, here Saturday.

The smoke emanating from the blaze was noticed by a police officer on security duty shortly after noon on the fourth floor of the main building in Nariman Point, said an official of BMC Disaster Control Room.

Since Saturday was a weekend holiday, there were no staffers in the building and there are no casualties.

According to the official, some chemicals sprayed over an 800 square feet area on the floor is believed to have caused the conflagration.

The blaze gutted electrical wiring, fans, switchboards and some waste material kept there.

Seven fire tenders were rushed to tackle the blaze, which was brought under control within half an hour.

This is the second fire in Mantralaya in 10 months. On June 21, 2012, a major fire gutted large parts of the building killing at lease five people, including some government staffers.

After the incident last year, the building has been undergoing major repairs and renovation works since the past few months.