Pune's forensic lab gutted in blaze

A large portion of the Maharashtra government's forensic laboratory in Pune was gutted in a fire that broke out this morning, fire brigade officials said.

The blaze was brought under control within an hour by firemen who entered the building in the vicinity of Raj Bhavan in Aundh area wearing protective masks to remove stocks of chemicals stored in the ground floor of the laboratory.

A heavy cloud of smoke engulfed the building and firemen had to break open window panes to ensure ventilation while carrying out the operation, an official told PTI.

Firemen first brought out cylinders containing Hydrogen and Nitrogen gas used in the chemical analysis in the lab and also removed LPG cylinders from the premises to prevent the fire from spreading.

Since the laboratory had not opened for the day when the fire started, there were no casulties in the incident, it was stated. Police and lab officials were investigating cause of the fire.