Education Ministry clarifies fire broke out at SPA building, not ministry office in Delhi

A fire incident at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) building in central Delhi on Monday triggered confusion after initial reports suggested that the blaze had broken out at the Ministry of Education office. The ministry later issued a clarification, stating that the fire occurred at the SPA campus and not at any Ministry of Education premises.

The fire prompted a swift emergency response, with multiple fire tenders, ambulances and police personnel rushed to the site. According to authorities, the incident took place at the School of Planning and Architecture building located in Delhi's Indraprastha Estate area.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) had stated that the fire had broken out in the Ministry of Education office situated within the SPA campus.

Reacting to the initial reports, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh expressed concern over the development. In a post on X, he said that reports of a fire in the Education Ministry's offices were "very concerning" and added that the incident appeared "very fishy."

However, the Ministry of Education later clarified that the reports were incorrect. The ministry said its offices are located at Kartavya Bhavan-2 on Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road in New Delhi, while the fire incident occurred at the School of Planning and Architecture premises at Block B, Indraprastha Estate, Vikas Marg (ITO).

The ministry said the clarification was being issued to prevent the spread of misinformation regarding the fire incident.

According to the Ministry of Education, the fire at the SPA building was minor in nature and was quickly brought under control by emergency services.

The ministry further stated that no loss of life or property was reported in the incident.

With PTI inputs