Fire in Salarjung Museum: Govt orders enquiry

Hyderabad, Nov 3 (UNI) The furniture in the auditorium of the famous Salarjung Museum here, which houses priceless artefacts, was totally gutted in a fire here today.

Police said the fire broke out suddenly this morning and security staff on duty called the police immediately.

Fire tenders from nearby areas rushed to the spot and struggled to douse the flames emanating from the auditorium. It took nearly two hours to control the blaze. Security personnel who initially showered water to put out the fire suffered burns.

State Home Minister K Jana Reddy, who visited the museum, told reporters the government had directed museum officials to conduct an enquiry into the incident and seek suggestions to avert such incidents. He also directed police and officials of the museum to conduct an enquiry on whether there was any involvement of terrorists.

The Minister commended the services of the fire services and said it had responded in time to avoid major loss.

Mr Reddy, who is also in charge of the fire service, said the government would set up more fire stations in the twin cities and acquire modern equipment.

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