Newsroom24x7 Desk

New Delhi: A huge fire that broke out near a visitors entry gate of the Parliament House here on Sunday afternoon raises burning questions about the level of security measures and the fire safety norms that were being followed to protect a high security constitutional building.

President Pranab Mukherjee expressed serious concern and asked for immediate probe into the cause and circumstances leading to the fire. Smoke billowing from the Parliament complex could be seen in a radius of several kilometres.

Delhi Fire Service Director A.K. Sharma said the fire broke out inside the Parliament complex due to welding spark and there have been no injuries. Others said that the fire started due to a short circuit in the air conditioning unit.

After the control room was alerted by some responsible citizens shortly after 2 pm Sunday, about a dozen fire tenders were rushed to contain the fire. The fire broke out while an AC plant was under maintenance.