A major fire broke out on the premises
of National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) here this evening, but it was doused within an hour.
The fire engulfed the Pilot Plan III building of NCL and five fire tenders and two water tankers were deployed to douse it, civic officials said.
No one was injured, they added.
"We received a call at 8.40 pm and immediately fire tenders and tankers were rushed to the spot. By 9.25 pm the fire was doused," said Prashant Ranpise, Chief Fire Officer, Pune Municipal Corporation.
NCL sources said that internal firefighting system kicked in immediately after the fire broke out.
Cause of the fire was not known yet.
Established in 1950, NCL is a premier research institute of international renown.
(Reopens BES 38)
Meanwhile, a statement from NCL stated that "since the
premises was under renovation, no experiment was being carried out in the laboratory and no scientist/student was around", so nobody was injured.
Students working in the adjacent building noticed the fire and immediately informed the security, fire brigade and concerned officers.
However, "there was a major loss of property," it stated.
A committee has been constituted by the Director, CSIR, NCL, to look into the reasons, the statement added.
