Lucknow: Fire at Jawahar Bhawan disrupted office work in several departments as hundreds of employees were evacuated and left stranded outside the complex for hours amid intermittent rain.As firefighters launched an extensive rescue and firefighting operation, police cordoned off the premises and stopped employees from entering the building.By the time most staff members reached the office, thick black smoke had engulfed the upper floors. Many employees stood outside in the rain for nearly three hours, anxiously watching firefighters battle the blaze while waiting for updates about the safety of their offices and official records.“I had just entered the office, kept my bag on the table and was about to start work when we heard people shouting that there was a fire,” recalled Suraj Singh, an employee. “Within seconds, the fire alarm started ringing. Security personnel told everyone to leave immediately. We did not even have time to collect our belongings. When we came outside, thick smoke was already rising from the fourth floor,” he said.Another employee, Ram Babu, said the timing of the incident prevented what could have turned into a devastating tragedy.“The canteen is usually crowded around 10am as employees from different departments gather there for tea and breakfast,” he said.“Fortunately, the fire broke out before the rush began. Had it started even half an hour later, there could have been dozens of people inside the canteen and conference hall,” he added.Employees Manish Kumar and Sunil Pal, who were standing outside the building during the firefighting operation, said they heard a loud blast shortly after smoke began billowing from the fourth floor.“There were four LPG cylinders in the kitchen. Thankfully, none of them exploded. Had they caught fire, the entire floor could have been engulfed within minutes. We believe the sound came from an air-conditioner unit bursting due to the fire,” he said.“The fire spread quickly because of the smoke. Thankfully, security staff and the fire department responded without delay. Had there been even a few minutes’ delay, the situation could have been very different,” Sunil said.Outside the building, anxious employees repeatedly tried to contact colleagues who were still inside during the initial stages of the evacuation, while others watched as firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the smoke-filled floors to conduct rescue operations.Several employees said they were relieved after officials confirmed that everyone had been evacuated, concerns remained about possible damage to office files, computers and govt records.
