A significant fire broke out in the basement of the Mahabharat Anubhav Kendra at Jyotisar in Kurukshetra on Sunday afternoon, triggered by explosions in electrical panels and batteries. The district administration has constituted a five-member fact-finding committee to probe the incident and fix accountability.
The fire erupted around 3 pm in the basement of Block-B, which housed heavy backup batteries and primary electrical routing panels. On-duty staff promptly evacuated the peak-hour Sunday crowds after fire alarms sounded, resulting in no injuries.
The Kurukshetra fire department dispatched five fire tenders—three from Kurukshetra and two from Pehowa—to bring the blaze under control. Fire officer Sandeep reported multiple battery blasts during the incident, and preliminary indicators suggest that intense summer heat may have caused an electrical overload leading to the explosions.
Immediate Actions Taken
Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena ordered the immediate closure of the premises for several days to facilitate emergency engineering repairs and structural safety audits. The facility will reopen only after passing all necessary electrical and fire compliance checks.
Fact-Finding Committee
The five-member committee is chaired by Additional Deputy Commissioner Vivek Arya. It includes the CEO of the Kurukshetra Development Board, the executive engineer of PWD (electrical) from Ambala, the district fire officer of Kurukshetra, and a representative from the Haryana Tourism Directorate.
The committee has a three-day deadline to inspect the site, audit the centre's electrical infrastructure, review fire safety systems, and submit a comprehensive damage assessment report. It is tasked with fixing accountability if negligence is found and recommending long-term preventive measures.
Authorities have emphasized that safety protocols will be strictly enforced before reopening the centre to the public.
