Short-circuit leads to fire in MSU’s chemistry lab

Vadodara: A minor fire broke out in the laboratory of M S University’s Department of Chemistry on Saturday. The sudden fire in the laboratory in the afternoon, just a day after the tragic fire incident at the Surat coaching centre, spread panic. But the fire was immediately brought under control.
Officials of Faculty of Science said that the fire occurred due to a short circuit inside the laboratory where a couple of students were working on a project.
“The window of the laboratory was opened when the short circuit leading to the fire occurred. Our staff, which is trained to handle such incidents, immediately brought the situation under control with the help of fire extinguishers,” said professor Hari Kataria, dean of Faculty of Science.
If the window would have been closed, there was possibility that the fire would have gone unnoticed and spread inside the laboratory which has several chemical bottles which students use for their practicals.
“Fortunately, each department in our faculty has at least two people who are trained in fire safety. Also, every year, fire extinguishers which get outdated are replaced,” he said.
The fire, however, damaged some furniture including a wooden table and a chair which the staffers removed from the laboratory after fire was contained.