Fire broke out at the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Aizawl District at around 3:15 AM this morning. The fire is said to have started from the Election Branch which then spread to other branches in the office premises. The Fire& Emergency Services was notified at around 4:10 but the majority of the Assam type structures within the office compound were burnt to the ground.
According to reports, hundreds of valuable historical and political documents stored in the archives were lost to the fire. The Election Branch, Planning Branch, Arms Branch, ILP Branch, Census Branch, Establishment, Nazir, DC office chamber, Addl DC office chamber and SDO(Sadar) office are the main branches in the office destroyed by the fire.
The 131 year old Deputy Commissioner's Office is one of the oldest structures in the city. It was even declared as a state heritage building by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). Fondly called "Bawrhsap Pisapui" by the Mizo community, the Office of the Deputy Commissioner is the first office of the North Lushai area, established during the Lushai Hills Expedition of 1889-1890.
The Office is home to hundreds of valuable historical documents, instruments and objects.
