Exact cause of AIIMS fire not known: Govt

The exact cause of the fire at the teaching block of AIIMS in New Delhi in August could not be determined though it appears to have originated from electrical points being used for equipment, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey informed the Lok Sabha on Friday. There was a fire in a wing of the main teaching block of AIIMS in August, 2019 affecting the functional utilization of some rooms. The affected building is a non-patient area and had faculty offices and some laboratories.

Replying to a question while referring to an internal committee report, Choubey said suggested repairs and rehabilitation in specific areas as per the extent of damage, which were classified as per the standard damage categories, have been taken up. The affected departments have been provided alternative arrangements for routine works that were carried out in the fire-affected areas, the minister said.

A Committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Medical Superintendent to look into the likely cause of the fire and make recommendations for the prevention of such mishaps henceforth. "As per the Committee's report, the exact cause of the fire could not be determined, though it appears to have originated from electrical points being used for equipment," he said. The fire-affected portions of the building were entrusted to National Council for Cement and Building Material (NCCB), Ballabgarh for post-fire structural scrutiny and for seeking recommendations for rehabilitation of the damaged areas.