Chandigarh:
A three-storey commercial building in Chandigarh collapsed after it caught fire on Sunday. No casualties have been reported yet.
The fire fighters were trying to douse the fire when the building collapsed. A short circuit in the building is believed to be the cause of the fire.
The massive fire broke out at around 4.30 pm in a commercial building which housed the government-run National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIEIT) in Sector 17, commercial hub of the Chandigarh.
Around 14 to 20 fire tenders from Chandigarh, SAS Nagar and Panchkula were rushed to the spot.
At around 9.30 pm, the old building succumbed to the high temperate and collapsed, trapping three of the fire fighters at work under the debris.
"Three of our fire officials are still trapped under the debris," said Mr Vivek Pratap Singh, Municipal Commissioner, Chandigarh.
"We are trying our best to get the trapped people out of the debris as human lives are always our top priority. The fire officials are also trying to make sure that the adjoining buildings are not affected by the fire," said Mr Singh.
The fire is reported to be under control and the rescue operations to safely get the trapped men out are underway.