From correspondents in Delhi, India, 07:03 AM IST

The authorities Thursday conducted a mock emergency drill at the Delhi Secretariat to check the level of preparedness of various agencies in dealing with emergency situations, an official said.

'The drill began at about 3 p.m. A call was made to the Police Control Room (PCR) about a bomb blast in the cafeteria of Delhi Secretariat leading to a small fire and smoke that engulfed the first floor of the building,' a government spokesperson said.

A PCR van and a fire tender rushed to the Secretariat. The rescue officials searched the entire building for any explosive materials. The fire tender took five minutes to control the fire in the cafeteria, the spokesperson said.

People in the building were evacuated.

'The drill was to check the level of preparedness of various agencies, their response in case of a real disaster and safety measures taken during such situation,' the official added.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)