Secretariat building 7 reopens after fire damage
The 7th building of the Secretariat, which was severely damaged by a fire, has reopened. Except for the four burnt floors, the remaining five floors of the nine-story building have resumed operations, with government officials and employees back to work.
Since the fire broke out, only advisers and secretaries were allowed to enter the Secretariat, and no other vehicles were permitted to enter. However, starting Sunday, vehicles of other officers and employees have been allowed to enter the premises.
This marks a significant return to normalcy for the Secretariat, 11 days after the fire. Since the incident, law enforcement agencies had restricted entry into the 7th building, allowing only key officials and investigation-related personnel access. On Sunday, it was observed that general employees and officers are now being permitted entry.
However, access to the upper floors, above the fifth, is still restricted to officials from the Public Works Department. The Ministry of Labor and Employment is located on the east side of the fifth floor, while the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications is on the west side. The Ministry of Finance’s Financial Institutions Division is on the fourth floor, the Internal Revenue Division on the third, and the Local Government Division is located on the second floor.
Upon entering the second floor, the smell of smoke is still noticeable, and black soot stains are visible on the floor. The elevators are out of service. Clean-up operations are ongoing on the fifth floor, but the water supply remains shut off, while electricity is operational.
The fire caused significant damage to the floors from the sixth to the ninth, above the fifth. These four floors have been completely destroyed. The collapsible gates on these floors have been locked, and the stairways are heavily damaged. The areas are littered with debris, and parts of the walls have collapsed.
The devastating fire broke out early on December 25, damaging four floors of the 7th building of the Secretariat. These floors housed several important ministries and divisions, including the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Labor and Employment, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the Local Government Division, the Ministry of Rural Development and Cooperatives, and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
A preliminary report from an investigative committee, formed under the leadership of the Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, stated that the fire originated from an electrical 'loose connection.'
