Govt cancels fire safety licences of 30 hotels in Karol Bagh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 15

Three days after a massive fire claimed 17 lives in a Karol Bagh hotel, the Delhi government cancelled fire safety licences of around 30 hotels in the area in the past two days for various violations.

Addressing reporters, Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain said the Fire Service Department will step up its drive against errant hotels across the city to prevent recurrence of Karol Bagh-like incident.

Jain said fire officials have inspected 45 hotels in the past two days in the Karol Bagh area and of them 30 were found to be flouting fire safety norms. Their fire safety certificates were cancelled, said the minister.

The municipal corporations and police have been asked to take necessary steps to seal these establishments.

On February 12, a massive fire at hotel Arpit Palace snuffed out lives of 17 people, prompting the government authorities to inspect hotels in the area after the minister found many buildings in the area to be having more than four-storey — the permissible number of floors, as per the Delhi building bylaws.

The Delhi Fire Service, in its report, has observed that the wall panelling and combustible interiors (use of carpets) in the corridor connecting the two staircases actually prevented the escape of the guests from hotel. 

The blaze intensified due to the same, it indicated. A magisterial inquiry is underway into the incident.