Million year old fossil destroyed in fire
The femur bone of a sauropod, the largest animal ever to have roamed the earth was destroyed in the fire that engulfed the museum of natural history at the FICCI building. Preserved amphibians, reptiles and butterflies as well as some mounted specimens like armadillos and a Tibetan yak were also destroyed. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javedekar said "the loss cannot be counted in rupees."
The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) was established on the 25th anniversary of India's independence in 1972. The museum depicts India's flora, fauna, and mineral wealth to promote environmental awareness among the masses. NMNH functions under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change and has expanded geographically by establishing Regional Museums of Natural History (RMNH) in Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, and Mysore.
The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a six-storeyed structure located in the same building as Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) on Tansen Road in Mandi House, Central Delhi.
A massive fire broke out at 1:45 am on 26th April at the National Museum of Natural History located on the 6th floor of FICCI building at Mandi House, New Delhi. The cause of the fire is not yet known. 35 fire tenders who were rushed to the spot brought the fire under control by 5 am and completely extinguished it by 7 am.
The fire was reported on the top floor auditorium of the building in Mandi House which is being renovated. The inferno then grew and spread to other floors of the building. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Senior police officials of the district and the fire department chiefs rushed to the spot to take note of the situation.
According to the fire officials, the fire safety mechanism of the building was not working and hence it took so long to douse the fire.
There were not too many people inside the building at the time fire broke out and all were evacuated safely, however, about 6 firemen have been injured. All the injured firemen were rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and 2 of them are said to be in critical condition. The museum was completely destroyed but the FICCI auditorium and FICCI headquarters are safe.
The femur bone of a sauropod, the largest animal ever to have roamed the earth was destroyed in the fire that engulfed the museum of natural history at the FICCI building. Preserved amphibians, reptiles and butterflies as well as some mounted specimens like armadillos and a Tibetan yak were also destroyed. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javedekar said "the loss cannot be counted in rupees."
