A fire broke out at the data centre in the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) housed in the first and second floor respectively in a multi-storied Balmer Lawrie building at BBD Bag on Monday morning, amidst counting for the bypoll to the Kaliganj Assembly seat in Nadia district.
Fire was suddenly spotted in the data centre on the first floor of the building where many other offices are also housed around noon.
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The CEO office was virtually crowded with its employees and media persons from this morning owing to the counting for the bypoll.
Employees at the data centre on the first floor of were ordered to evict the premises after a strong burnt smell engulfed the room, while they were busy with the counting process. The CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal along with his officers and employees were seen coming down in order to evacuate the two floors as soon as possible soon after the incident.
The employees panicked and rushed out of the building with their faces covered. Fire fighting engines were pressed into service immediately after the local fire service station was informed.
Fire tenders brought the fire under control within 45 minutes and senior fire brigade officials examined the spot.
The officials after preliminary inspection felt that an electrical short-circuit in the data centre might have caused the fire.
“The situation was brought under control with prompt interventions of the fire brigade men and nothing was disrupted in connection with the counting process for bypoll because of the incident. Counting was done peacefully,” Mr Agarwal told the media.