Kolkata:
A major fire broke out in the Chemistry department of the famed Presidency University in the early hours on Friday, leaving the laboratory damaged.
Acting principal Amitava Chattopadhyay told PTI that the fire broke out on the third and fourth floors of the century-old Derozio Building where chemicals and gas cylinders were kept.
He said the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.
Director-general of fire brigade Gopal Bhattacharya said forensic experts would shortly go to the spot to find out the cause of the fire.
The principal said that the night guards informed the fire brigade as soon as they noticed the blaze and heard sounds from the third floor of the building.
Twelve fire tenders arrived at the spot and brought the blaze under control after about three hours.
The fire brigade director-general said that there was no fire fighting arrangement in the university as per National Building Code and urged the authority to ensure that proper fire safety arrangements were put in place in consultation with fire brigade.
Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, who visited the University, said it should be investigated whether there was any sabotage angle.
He said that there was no machinery to fight the blaze in this prestigious institution which was recently upgraded to university. Many important documents and papers were gutted in the fire, he said.