B.Sc (Botany) answer sheets gutted in fire at Osmania University

Several bundles of degree answer sheets were gutted in a fire that broke out at a spot valuation centre at the Osmania University, here, on Tuesday.

According to the police, answer sheets of a recent BSc (Botany) exam were kept in four rooms for valuation at the centre behind the new Godavari hostel. Around 6.30 am, a security guard noticed thick smoke billowing out of one of the rooms and informed senior officials, who alerted the fire control room.

A fire tender from the Moula Ali fire station rushed to the spot within 15 minutes and extinguished the flames. The firefighters took necessary measures to prevent the flames fromspreading to



the other rooms where more answer sheets were stored.

Moula Ali Station Fire Officer GB Chandrasekhar said an electrical short circuit could be one of the main causes for the fire as the switch board had completely melted.

“We reached the centre soon after receiving a call and carried out firefighting operation. This helped us in preventing flames from spreading to the adjacent rooms,” he said, adding that OU officials would examine the number of answer sheets damaged in the fire.

University Vice-Chancellor S Ramachandram too visited the valuation centre and took stock of the situation.