Education ministry denies reports of fire at its office in Delhi after Congress expresses concern

The ministry clarified that the fire was actually confined to the premises of the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in central Delhi and did not affect the ministry's headquarters.

The Ministry of Education on Monday clarified that a fire reported earlier as having broken out at its office was actually confined to the premises of the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in central Delhi and did not affect the ministry's headquarters.

The clarification followed media reports stating that a blaze had erupted on the second floor of the Ministry of Education office located within the SPA campus in Delhi's ITO area. The reports noted that Congress also expressed concerns, with party leaders questioning the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Reacting to those initial reports, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the news of a fire at the Education Ministry's offices was “very concerning” and “also very fishy”.

However, the Ministry of Education later issued a statement correcting the record. It said some media outlets had incorrectly reported that the fire had occurred at the ministry's office.

“It is clarified that the Ministry of Education is located at Kartavya Bhavan-2, Dr Rajendra Prasad Road, New Delhi, whereas the fire incident occurred at the premises of the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), located at 4-Block B, Indraprastha Estate, Vikas Marg (ITO),” the statement said.

The ministry added that the clarification was being issued to prevent the spread of misinformation regarding the incident.

It further said the fire at the SPA building was minor and was brought under control quickly. “No loss of life or property has been reported,” the ministry said.

According to the earlier reports, the Delhi Fire Service received an alert about the fire at around 9:37 am and dispatched eight fire tenders to the site. Emergency teams, including police personnel and ambulances, were also mobilised. No casualties were reported, and the cause of the fire is yet to be determined.

Police said the fire occurred in the SPA building, triggering a swift response from firefighting and emergency services. Earlier, the Delhi Fire Service had identified the affected location as the Ministry of Education office situated on the SPA campus.

(With PTI inputs)