Agencies / New Delhi
DD news In Delhi, seventeen people including a child lost their lives in a fire that broke out at a hotel located in Karol Bagh area early this morning. Delhi fire services said, two persons have been seriously injured in the incident. 26 fire tenders were rushed to the spot early this morning and the fire has now been completely doused.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said most of the people died due to suffocation. He said strict action will be taken against those found guilty of negligence. He added that District Magistrate has already ordered an enquiry in the incident. The injured were rushed to three hospitals including the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the loss of lives in the incident. In a tweet, Mr Modi conveyed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. He expressed hope that the injured will recover soon.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced an ex-gratia of 5 lakh rupees each to the kin of the deceased..
Fire officer Vipin Kental said there was wooden panelling on corridor, because of which people couldn’t use corridors to evacuate and said two persons had to jump off the building.
The fire has been extinguished now, he said, and a cooling operation has been launched. Simultaneously, he said that a search operation has also been launched to confirm there are no more people trapped in the hotel.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but sources said that prima facie it looks to be a short circuit. The Delhi government has ordered a probe into the incident.
“The hotel had clearance only for four floors. They had made a kitchen and terrace on top of it. This is major case of carelessness. Investigation is on. Strict action will be taken against the guilty,” Delhi minister Satyendar Jain, who visited the site, said.
Very sad to learn about the loss of lives in the tragic fire accident in Karol Bagh, Delhi. Heartfelt condolences to bereaved families and wishing an early recovery to those injured #PresidentKovind
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) February 12, 2019