Fire breaks out at ISRO's IT server building in Ahmedabad, no casualties reported

Ahmedabad, Oct 23 (IANS) A fire broke out at the IT server building inside the Indian Space Research Organisation campus in Ahmedabad, triggering a swift response from the city fire department. The blaze reportedly started on the upper floor of the building located near the outer gate of the ISRO premises.

Four fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and firefighters managed to bring the situation under control within a short time. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Employees working in the building were safely evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Preliminary reports suggest that an electrical short circuit may have caused the fire, though the exact reason is yet to be confirmed. Officials said the flames caused significant damage to the IT infrastructure, with several computers and equipment destroyed in the incident. The extent of the damage is currently being assessed.

The affected servers reportedly contained critical data, and an internal inquiry has been initiated to determine the cause of the fire and the scale of the loss.

A similar incident was reported in 2018 at ISRO’s Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad, when thick smoke was seen billowing from one of the country’s most important space laboratories.

The fire, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, broke out in a major facility of the centre, the city’s fire department had said at the time. A CISF guard was injured after inhaling smoke, while firefighters managed to control the blaze.

During that incident, then SAC Director Dr Tapan Misra confirmed that the antenna test facility had caught fire, resulting in damage to some specialised equipment.

The ISRO has a long-standing presence in Ahmedabad through its Space Applications Centre (SAC), one of the premier facilities of the organisation.

Established in 1972, SAC plays a vital role in developing payloads for communication, meteorology, remote sensing, and space science. Located in the Satellite area of Ahmedabad, SAC was founded under the leadership of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space programme, who envisioned the city as a hub for scientific and technological advancement.

The centre is instrumental in designing satellite-based systems that support national missions in communication, disaster management, weather forecasting, and resource mapping. Over the years, the Ahmedabad unit has become a crucial link between space technology and societal applications, contributing significantly to India’s space successes -- from INSAT and IRS satellites to recent advancements in navigation and planetary exploration.

--IANS

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