A fire that occurred at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kharagpur has potentially led to the destruction of significant documents in the Lal Bahadur Shastri Common Room.
The incident took place on Sunday, alarming the security personnel who noticed the blaze around 3 a.m. when students, researchers, and staff were asleep.
The fire caused panic among the campus residents as thick black smoke engulfed the entire area. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries have been reported thus far.
The local fire service station was immediately notified, and fire tenders arrived at the scene.
After a rigorous firefighting operation lasting a couple of hours, the fire was eventually brought under control.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, although preliminary investigations by fire officials suggest a short circuit might have been responsible. The fire originated from a storeroom adjacent to the common room.
However, concerns have been raised regarding the fire prevention measures implemented at this esteemed technological institution.
It is worth noting that a similar fire incident occurred at IIT-Kharagpur in March 2021, without any casualties or property damage being reported at that time. (Edited)