Mumbai: ‘Mantralaya fire not due to short-circuit’

While the fire was doused within 10 minutes, functioning of the cell remained suspended due to cooling operations.

Mantralaya (Express Photo/File)

A day after a fire broke out in the server room of the Maharashtra Disaster Management Cell, the initially suspected cause — an electrical short-circuit — has been ruled out, leading to questions as to what started the fire Monday evening.

Senior engineers from the state electrical department, who inspected the site Tuesday, said “it was not an electrical fire”. “When we inspected the site, we found all electrical appliances in safe condition,” said one of them. The department is expected to submit a report ruling out short-circuit as the cause.

Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Chandrakant Patil had claimed that a short-circuit caused the fire that had impacted some computer appliances in the server room. “The cause is yet to be ascertained. But it was doused quickly,” said Additional Chief Secretary (Relief and Rehabilitation) Medha Gadgil.

Rajeev Nivatkar, director of the disaster management cell, confirmed that the fire had impacted the cell’s response to the cyclone alert. The control room operations had to be suspended due to the fire. While the fire was doused within 10 minutes, functioning of the cell remained suspended due to cooling operations.

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