Environment Ministry orders fire audit of all museums post Natural History Museum inferno

In the wake of massive fire at the FICCI building in the national capital that destroyed Natural History Museum, Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday ordered energy and fire audit of all the 34 museums present across the country.

"This incident is very tragic. The Natural History Museum is a national treasure. I have talked to the fire officials and they are present at the site. We will see and access the loss that has taken place," Javadekar told media after visiting the site.

"I have ordered energy and fire audit of all our establishments all over the country because we have 34 museums, ZSI and BSI, all put together. We will take care that such incidents don't happen," he added.

The Minister also said that the building was on a rented property of FICCI and thus, the ministry has its limitations.

"See, the issue is that it is a rented property. It is not our ministry's property and it's a FICCI property and therefore we have limitations. This is a real loss and we will access the loss when the building is handed over to us. After that we will see how the recovery plan can be made," he said.

The massive fire broke out in the wee hours of Tuesday at the Natural History Museum near Delhi's Mandi House.

As many as 25 fire tenders were used to douse the flames, which has now been brought under control, even though smoke could be seen billowing out of the top floors of the building.

The fire in the museum, which is located in the FICCI auditorium premises, is said to have started from the top floors and later spread throughout building. Some parts of the FICCI auditorium were also damaged in the massive inferno.

The exact cause behind the inferno's origin is yet to be ascertained. Two fire officials were seriously injured while battling to flames. They have been rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where their condition is said to be stable.