VIJAYAWADA: A minor fire broke out at the State Secretariat in Velagapudi village around 6.30 am on Friday, causing temporary tension and prompting a swift emergency response.
The incident occurred in the second block, where a blaze reportedly erupted in the Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) room due to a suspected short circuit.
Though no casualties or major damage were reported, the fire gutted equipment stored in the affected area. The Secretariat houses offices of several key ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan and others.
Fire department officials said sparks in the UPS chamber escalated into a blaze that engulfed the room. Special Protection Force (SPF) personnel on duty alerted the fire brigade, which reached the spot quickly and brought the flames under control within an hour.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha visited the scene soon after and directed a thorough probe into the cause. Anitha stated that forensic teams collected evidence.
The Secretariat’s second block accommodates offices of ministers Vangalapudi Anitha, Payyavula Keshav, Nadendla Manohar, Kandula Durgesh, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, and P Narayana, making the fire a cause for serious concern despite the lack of injuries.