A fire broke out on Thursday morning at the examination building located on the Punjabi University campus in Patiala. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The fire quickly spread to the second and third floors of the building, prompting a call for fire tenders at 7:30 am.
Firefighters arrived at the scene and battled the blaze for three hours before successfully extinguishing it. However, the fire resulted in significant damage to the building and the loss of numerous official records. Thousands of documents, including important records such as the MA and B. Ed sets, were reportedly destroyed in the fire. The university officials have formed two separate probe committees to investigate the incident and assess the extent of the losses.
The fire posed challenges to the firefighters as the smoke engulfed the building, making it difficult for them to access the affected areas. Some window panes had to be broken to allow the smoke to escape. Surinder Kumar, the assistant divisional fire officer, mentioned that it took three hours to bring the flames under control.
Daljit Ami, the director of public relations at Punjabi University, acknowledged the substantial loss of records and stated that the assessment of damages was underway. One of the committees formed consists of examination branch faculty members tasked with evaluating the extent of the losses. At this stage, no official comments have been made regarding the cause of the fire. Fortunately, none of the university guards were reported to have fainted or lost consciousness during the incident.
The fire at the Punjabi University examination building has raised concerns about the loss of valuable records and the potential impact on the university’s operations. The investigation into the cause of the fire is expected to provide more clarity on the incident, while the university authorities will likely implement measures to prevent such incidents in the future and safeguard their important documents.
