Five firefighters were taken to hospital with smoke inhalation and later released. Singh said the entire building was gutted by the blaze, which is believed to have started in the early hours of the morning.
The environment minister, Prakash Javadekar, said the damage caused to the museum was being assessed but added that old and rare collections had been destroyed. He said: “This is a real loss. This loss cannot be counted in rupees. Some very old species of flora and fauna were there.”
An investigation into the cause of the fire has been ordered. Rajesh Panwar, Delhi’s deputy chief fire officer, said the museum’s fire safety equipment had not been functioning properly, making it more difficult for firefighters to finally bring the blaze under control.
An immediate safety audit of India’s 34 major museums has been ordered.
The state-run natural history museum, which opened in 1978, featured exhibits on plants, animals and mineral wealth in India. Specimens included butterflies, frogs, snakes, lizards as well as tigers and leopards.
The Times of India reported that the museum’s collection included a 160m-year-old bone of a sauropod dinosaur.
More about:
-1780923278.jpg&h=190&w=280&zc=1&q=100)
