BREAKING: Minor Fire at Delhi’s North Block Housing Home and Finance Ministries; No Casualties, Blaze Doused
New Delhi – October 26, 2026
Thick black smoke was seen rising from the rooftop of North Block on Raisina Hill in Central Delhi on Monday morning, triggering a fire scare in the high-security zone near Parliament.
The North Block is the iconic British-era red-sandstone administrative building that houses the offices of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance.
According to the Delhi Fire Services, a call reporting smoke at North Block was received at around 11:10 am on Monday. Six fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot and the fire was brought under control by 11:25 am. No casualties or injuries have been reported so far.
In its official statement, the Delhi Fire Department said: “A fire broke out in an AC boiler installed on the rooftop of North Block. Welding work was underway when a sudden short circuit reportedly triggered the fire in one of the AC boilers. The fire has since been brought under control.”
Police sources said repair / renovation and internal dismantling work was underway on the rooftop. Some reports said an old plastic water tank / fibre tank in the building’s chiller plant, used for cooling, caught fire, but labourers present at the site managed to douse the flames before it escalated.
The incident first came to public attention when Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora, who was on his way to Parliament, noticed thick smoke behind North Block and posted a video on X.
“Noticed thick smoke rising from behind North Block while on my way to Parliament. It appears there may be a fire. Hope everyone is safe and emergency services are responding swiftly,” Deora wrote.
This was a minor rooftop fire limited to the AC boiler / chiller plant area on the terrace. It did not occur inside the ministerial offices or record rooms. There is no official report of any damage to important files of the Home or Finance Ministry.
While initial reports point to a short circuit during welding work, the police and fire department have said the exact cause and extent of any property damage remain under investigation. People are advised to wait for the official inquiry report and not to speculate about conspiracy or loss of files.
