THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said a probe into the fire incident at the Secretariat here has begun, even as the opposition suspected it to be a "sabotage" to "destroy important files" related to the gold smuggling case.

According to preliminary assessment, a few files were partially burnt in the blaze and two teams have been appointed to look into the matter. "A team headed by ADGP Manoj Abraham has started investigating the matter. An expert panel headed by Disaster Management commissioner A Kaushikan is looking into the technical reason behind the accident," Vijayan said.

The expert panel comprises Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) member secretary, Fire and Rescue Technical Director, PWD chief engineer and the Chief electrical inspector of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). "The teams will ascertain the cause of the fire, assess the loss suffered and suggest steps to be taken to avoid such incidents in the future. The expert panel has been asked to submit a report within a week," he said.