Fire guts library in Delhi's Guru Gobind Singh College, morning exams cancelled

New Delhi | A massive fire broke out in the library of Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce in northwest Delhi's Pitampura on Thursday morning, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said.

"A short circuit in the library's server triggered the fire, extensively damaging hundreds of books in the section that housed old books. The library is still filled with smoke, and a detailed assessment of the losses will be possible only once visibility improves," a senior college official told PTI. In the aftermath of the fire, the morning session of the semester exams was cancelled.

"The morning session examination for May 15, 2025, at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce stands cancelled. The alternative date and schedule will be notified shortly," a college official told PTI.

The blaze erupted at around 8:55 am and engulfed the first, second and third floors of the four-storey library, DFS chief Atul Garg said.

Soon, 11 fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire was brought under control by 9:40 am, Garg said, adding that no one was injured in the incident.

"Several window panes shattered due to the high flames, and the fire spread rapidly due to strong winds. Our teams responded swiftly and managed to douse the flames," a senior fire official said.

Sources within the institution said the situation could have turned far more serious had the fire broken out after 10 am, as more students would have been on campus. Several students were around the college premises when the fire broke out and witnessed the massive flames. "We entered the college around 9 am for the exams, when suddenly we heard a loud noise and saw flames in the library area," a student told PTI Videos, adding that the college management ensured the students were in a safe area.

Another student, Adarsh Prakash, said he saw flames coming out from some of the library windows.

Several videos of the fire went viral on social media, capturing the intensity of the flames seen from the library windows and thick black smoke billowing from the college premises.