QUETTA: An investigation into last month’s fire at Post-Graduate Degree Science College Quetta has concluded that a short circuit was responsible for the blaze. The fire, which damaged several classrooms and offices, was caused by a UPS battery and other equipment in the IT office, according to the report presented on Monday.
The inquiry committee, led by Additional Secretary Colleges Jahanzeb Mandokhail, was formed on the orders of Provincial Education Minister Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani. During a press conference with Deputy Commissioner Quetta Saad bin Asad and Principal Mohammad Azmat, Mandokhail detailed the findings of the report.
The fire broke out between 2:00 and 2:30 a.m. on August 31. The college watchman alerted the police, and the fire brigade arrived within 15 minutes, bringing the blaze under control by 6:30 a.m. The fire destroyed one office, partially damaged three others, and burned doors to several classrooms. However, the college’s records remained intact.
The investigation revealed that the delay in detecting the fire was due to the watchman being stationed outside the premises. The committee has recommended that future watchmen be deployed within the college to prevent such delays. Renovation work at the college is expected to be completed by the end of October.
