Massive Data Centre Fire Destroys 20 Years of Data

A large data centre facility in India was engulfed by fire earlier this month, resulting in a disaster that has made data recovery extremely difficult, including information stored over almost 20 years. The STT Global Data Centres facility is owned by ST Telemedia and Tata Communications. The owners have activated business continuity plans to limit disruption following the blaze. Matrix Celluler, an international SIM card vendor and client of the data centre, has been impacted, explaining that it is struggling to recover data spanning more than two decades. Google Cloud was also affected by the incident. A source cited by Reuters indicated the service experienced some network disruptions in India linked to the fire. In a letter to Matrix Cellular, Tata Communications unit Novamesh stated the fire was severe and caused extensive damage, hampering services. The letter also noted that the extent of the damage is making data and system recovery difficult for the company. STT Global Data Centres India confirmed it is providing support to affected customers, including assisting with migration to alternative capacity where possible. An initial analysis suggests the impact was limited to a single data hall and its related infrastructure, while Tata Communications reported that services for all customers, including backups, have been restored. The cause of the fire remains unknown, though the Delhi Fire Service suspects it may have originated from a lithium battery unit.