The fire-ravaged Maharashtra Mantralaya building in Mumbai on Sunday.
MUMBAI: Was inflammable hydrogen in the form of hydrogen banks (batteries needed to keep UPS systems alive in case of power cuts) being stored in large proportions in the server room where the fire began? With the help of hardware and software experts, investigators are trying to find out what led to the fire spreading so quickly through the building.
"The probe mainly depends on what the forensic and fire brigade teams gather as technical evidence," an official said. Sources said most eyewitnesses have pointed out that hydrogen banks had been stored in the server room. Though investigators are yet to determine whether sparking took place in the UPS system, server terminals or the air-conditioning system, it is now confirmed that the server room was the source of fire. Incidentally, most fires at IT establishments in the past have been triggered by hydrogen banks.
Fire brigade officials investigating the Mantralaya fire said the probe would be completed 'as soon as possible' and that it was 'premature' for them to comment on the issue at present. The city crime branch, which is conducting a simultaneous probe into the blaze, on Sunday recorded statements of five new witnesses.
"The probe mainly depends on what the forensic and fire brigade teams gather as technical evidence," an official said. Sources said most eyewitnesses have pointed out that hydrogen banks had been stored in the server room. Though investigators are yet to determine whether sparking took place in the UPS system, server terminals or the air-conditioning system, it is now confirmed that the server room was the source of fire. Incidentally, most fires at IT establishments in the past have been triggered by hydrogen banks.
Fire brigade officials investigating the Mantralaya fire said the probe would be completed 'as soon as possible' and that it was 'premature' for them to comment on the issue at present. The city crime branch, which is conducting a simultaneous probe into the blaze, on Sunday recorded statements of five new witnesses.
