Page 57 - 28FEB2019E

Hotel fire

Delhi hotel fire its terrace with chairs and when suddenly there was

a power cut. They switched
tables laid out, indicating that
claims 17 lives there was an open restaurant on the generator and there
operating there, fire officials
was heavy smoke and smell,”
said, adding that there was he was quoted as saying by a
A Kerala family, which was vacationing wooden panelling in the news agency. His sister, who
is missing, alerted them to
rooms inside that could have
In Delhi, lost three members In Arpit Palace helped the fire spread. the smoke and rushed out to
fire, reports Tehelka Bureau Delhi Chief Minister check what was happening,
Arvind Kejriwal, who was he said. “The entire pathway
he guests were in said a suspected short circuit among the many politicians was full of smoke. My mother
deep sleep when could have sparked the fire. and officials who visited the and brother were along with
a massive fire While the Delhi government spot, announced 5 lakh my sister at the time. I imme-
swept through a ordered a magisterial probe, compensation for the next of diately came to the room and
T four-floor hotel in Home Minister Satyendar kin of those killed. The Delhi opened the room for fresh air
central Delhi’s Karol Bagh in Jain said he has also directed government also cancelled and we managed to escape.
the early hours of February the fire department to in- its fourth anniversary We were at the second floor
12. The inferno killed at least spect buildings which are five celebrations in view of the of the hotel,” he said.
17 of them, including a child floors or more and submit tragedy. The fire broke out in the
and two people who jumped a report on their fire safety Eyewitnesses recount the second floor of the build-
off the building in a desperate compliance within a week. ordeal. “It was a nightmare ing, a North Delhi Municipal
bid to save themselves. “Seventeen people have died, without end,” said Somshek- Corporation official said.
The blaze,in which 35 most of them of suffocation. har, who had come to Delhi The hotel was first granted a
people were injured, started Apparently, there were lapses from Kerala with his family licence in October 2005 and
in the second floor of the (from the hotel administra- to attend a wedding Ghazi- was renewed every year. The
Arpit Palace Hotel in the tion’s side). Action will taken abad and was staying in the last renewal was done on
heart of the national capital against those found guilty,” hotel. They were residents of May 25, 2018 and was valid
around 3.30 am. According to he said. Ernakulam district in Kerala till March 31. “As per informa-
reports, there were 53 people Prime Minister Narendra and were getting ready to go tion gathered from the site, it
in the 45-room hotel, which Modi condoled the loss of to Haridwar when the fire reveals that the incidence of
had a canopy on the terrace lives. “Deeply saddened by started. They lost three of fire accrued at second floor at
housing what appeared to be the loss of lives due to a fire at their family members. around 3.30 AM on February
a restaurant. Karol Bagh in Delhi. I convey “Ten of us were rescued 12 due to short-circuit,” the
A call about the fire was my condolences to the fami- by police and fire teams. We official was quoted as saying.
received at 4.35 am and 24 lies of those who lost their had booked four rooms in the A fire department official said
fire tenders were rushed to lives,” he tweeted. hotel. We were all ready early some used fire extinguish-
the spot, a senior Delhi Fire The hotel had a canopy on morning to go to Haridwar ers were found, suggesting
Service official said. At least people trapped inside tried
35 people were injured in the to douse the flames in a bid to
blaze, said Madhur Verma, escape.
Deputy Commissioner of Po- Former Delhi chief minis-
lice (New Delhi), adding that ter Sheila Dikshit expressed
one person was still missing. her grief over the incident.
“A 43-year-old woman suf- “I express my sorrow at
fered 45 per cent burn inju- the tragic death of several
ries,” he told reporters, adding innocent people in a fire at
that 13 of the bodies had #ArpitHotel in #KarolBagh.
been taken to Ram Manohar Our brave firefighters are
Lohia Hospital, two to Lady working amidst extremely
Hardinge Hospital and one to difficult circumstances to
BLK hospital. rescue those who are
Of the 13 bodies, five had stranded in the building,”
been identified — three from she tweeted.
Kerala and two from Myan-
mar. A senior civic official letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 28 february 2019 57 www.Tehelka.com