Fire destroyed Delhi's National Museum of Natural History

A massive fire on 26 April 2016 destroyed the National Museum of Natural History located in New Delhi. The cause of fire is still unknown though the fire spread because of museum specimens and the wood work holding them.

The building was relatively empty because of an ongoing renovation, and was evacuated shortly before first responders arrived. However, many of the museum’s exhibits have suffered irreparable damage.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change is still in the process of assessing fire damage.

Suspected to be destroyed in fire:

• The fire could potentially have destroyed several fossils, including a 160-million-year-old dinosaur skeleton

• A collection of bird eggs

• Several stuffed animals, preserved butterflies, amphibian and reptile specimens.

About National Museum of Natural History

• The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in New Delhi was one of two museums focusing on nature in India.

• It was established in 1972 as part of the celebration of the 25th year of India's independence. It was opened in 1978.

• The museum functioned under the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the Government of India.

• The museum had extensive collection of films on wildlife, ecology, conservation and the environment in general and rare exhibits like herpetological specimen, dinosaurs and mounted animals. It also had galleries on origin and evolution of life, conservation of nature, the food chain and overall flora and fauna.

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