Minor fire on Delhi’s North Block terrace put out in 15 minutes; no injuries

A minor fire broke out on the terrace of North Block, the Union Secretariat building on Raisina Hill in New Delhi, on Monday morning. It was put out quickly and no one was hurt, a Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said.

DFS received a call at 11.10 am reporting smoke coming from the building and sent six fire tenders. The fire was doused by 11.25 am.

According to The Hindu, a fibre tank in the building’s chiller plant, which is used for cooling, caught fire. Thick black smoke rising from the building briefly caused panic in the area.

According to DFS, internal dismantling work was underway at the building, which might have led to the fire, news agency PTI reported. A police officer also said repair work was going on at the building.

North Block, built to a design by British architect Herbert Baker and inaugurated in 1921, was the address of the Union Home Ministry for nearly 90 years. The ministry began shifting its offices to the new Common Central Secretariat buildings in July 2025 as part of the Central Vista redevelopment, The Hindu reported at the time.

Under the plan, North Block and South Block are to be turned into the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum once all offices move out. The Culture Ministry has partnered with France Museums Développement on the project, The New Indian Express reported in 2025.