Massive fire breaks out at Delhi's Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce

NEW DELHI: A massive fire broke out in the library of Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce in northwest Delhi's Pitampura on Thursday morning, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said.

"A short circuit in the library’s server triggered the fire, extensively damaging hundreds of books in the section that housed old books. The library is still filled with smoke, and a detailed assessment of the losses will be possible only once visibility improves," a senior college official told PTI.

The blaze erupted at around 8:55 am and engulfed the first, second and third floors of the four-storey library, DFS chief Atul Garg said. Soon, 11 fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire was brought under control by 9:40 am, Garg said, adding that no one was injured in the incident.

"Several window panes shattered due to the high flames, and the fire spread rapidly due to strong winds. Our teams responded swiftly and managed to douse the flames," a senior fire official said, adding that cooling operations are still underway.

While the college administration has not yet released an official statement, sources within the institution said the situation could have turned far more serious had the fire broken out after 10 am, as more students would have been on campus. "We have informed the police, who will investigate to determine the exact cause of the incident," the source added.

Several videos of the fire went viral on social media, capturing the intensity of the flames seen from the library windows and thick black smoke billowing from the college premises.