Fire breaks out at Kerala Secretariat; Opposition stages protest

A fire broke out at the Kerala Secretariat on Tuesday evening but was brought under control by the fire and rescue department. The Opposition Congress and BJP staged a protest before the secretariat against the government after the fire broke out alleging conspiracy to destroy evidence in connection with the Gold Smuggling Case.

Thiruvananthapuram: A fire broke out in the protocol department in the North block of the Secretariat here, housing important offices, on Tuesday evening, but was brought under control, fire and rescue department sources said.

Opposition party and BJP staged a sit-in protest before the secretariat against the government after the fire broke out in the secretariat. The parties alleged that the fire was not an accident but a conspiracy to destroy evidence in connection with the Gold Smuggling Case.

The department was informed at around 4.45 pm about the blaze and fire engines left for the secretariat immediately, the sources told reporters.

P Honey, Additional secretary, Housekeeping Cell at the Secretariat, said a short circuit from a computer is suspected to have triggered the blaze, which has been doused.

"No important files have been destroyed. They are all safe", the official told a television channel.

There were only two people in the office as the remaining staff had gone on quarantine, he said, adding they were not injured.

The protest was started after the fire broke out at the Kerala Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

PTI