A significant fire erupted at the office of the GST Commissioner in Chennai's Anna Nagar area on Friday morning, causing substantial damage to the building's interior and destroying official documents.
Fire Erupts and Spreads Rapidly
The blaze began at approximately 8:30 am on Friday. It originated in the ground-floor canteen and swiftly extended to other sections of the government building. Thick, black smoke poured out of the windows, enveloping the neighborhood and creating a sense of alarm among local residents.
Massive Firefighting Operation
Alerted by people living nearby, the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services sprang into action. Firefighting teams from the Egmore, Kilpauk, and Anna Nagar stations rushed to the scene with a total of six vehicles. They engaged in intense efforts to contain and extinguish the flames.
The operation lasted for nearly four hours before the firefighters successfully brought the situation under control. Their timely intervention prevented the fire from causing even more extensive damage to the structure.
Damage Assessment and Investigation
Fortunately, since the incident occurred on a Sunday, the office was closed. No officials, staff, or casualties were reported. However, the fire led to considerable loss on the first floor, where several important documents and computer systems were completely reduced to ashes.
Preliminary investigations conducted by the police point towards an electrical short circuit in the canteen as the likely cause of the fire. Despite this initial finding, the Thirumangalam police have stated that a detailed inquiry is ongoing. This probe aims to conclusively determine whether the electrical fault was indeed the sole reason or if other factors contributed to the outbreak.
