Fire at Secretariat contained after 6-hour battle

The fire that broke out at Building No. 7 of the Secretariat early Thursday has been brought under control. After six hours of efforts, 20 units from the Fire Service successfully contained the blaze. In addition to the fire service, members of all security forces were deployed to assist in the operation. Tragically, one firefighter lost his life after being hit by a truck during the firefighting efforts.

Fire Service officials confirmed that the fire was under control shortly after 8 am.

The Fire Service was alerted about the fire at 1:52 am. The unit stationed at the Secretariat began efforts to control the blaze at 1:54 am. Within minutes, the fire intensified, prompting the dispatch of 20 additional units to the scene.

By around 8:30 am, faint smoke was observed rising from the area between the 8th and 9th floors of the building's eastern section, where firefighters continued their work.