Delhi: Karol Bagh hotel fire doused, 17 dead, 45 rescued, several still trapped inside

Seventeen people were killed and several injured in a massive fire that broke out in Delhi’s Karol Bagh area in the early morning hours today. The blaze was reported from Hotel Arpit Palace in Karol Bagh, which has now been doused. “Fire has been doused. Bodies are being taken out now. Rescue operation underway,” Sunil Choudhary, Deputy Chief Fire Officer was quoted as saying. Initial probe suggests short circuit to be the reason for the blaze.

 

Balan Mani, Delhi Hotel Association Vice President, on 9 dead in Delhi hotel fire: It was due to fire in ducting because of which it had spread to the hotel rooms.All norms were followed here; license is issued only after inspection. Mishappening can occur in a house as well. pic.twitter.com/e3hYIqI1Yp

— News Nation (@NewsNationTV) February 12, 2019

According to latest reports, 25 fire tenders have been pressed into action. 45 people have been rescued from the burning hotel, whereas 8 people are said to be in critical condition. The dead include a mother a child. All the 13 taken to RLM hospital have died, of the 5 admitted to Lady Hardinge Hospital, 2 have succumbed to their injuries. Three injured persons have been shifted to Sir Gangaram Hospital.

 

Though there have been several cases of fire in the National Capital but the Karol Bagh hotel tragedy has claimed most lives in recent past. In 1986, a major fire broke out in Siddharth Hotel in Vasant Vihar. The blaze had killed 37 and injured 39 people. Later, it was renamed as the Vasant Continental. Owned by Jaypee Group, the hotel was a 10-storey luxury hotel in the 1980. Several foreigners were also killed in the blaze.

RELATED

Last week, a massive fire had broken out at the prominent Metro Hospitals and Heart Institute in Noida’s Sector-12. The probe into the incident unveiling a startling fact. The hospital has been functioning without a fire licence that expired over five months ago, officials said. "The hospital authorities had got a licence from the fire department in March 2017, but they did not get it renewed from over five months," Gautam Budh Nagar Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Arun Kumar Singh told to PTI.

Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to a fire at Karol Bagh in Delhi.

I convey my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.

May the injured recover soon: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 12, 2019

Luckily, no one was injured in the blaze that broke out at 8 am in the dispensary located on the ground floor. Ten fire tenders were rushed to the site, the officials said. The Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, commonly referred to as Calcutta Medical College, was established in 1835 and is the second oldest medical college in India after Ecole de Medicine of Puducherry. The hospital fire was a stark reminder of the blaze at Kolkata’s Calcutta Medical College last year. The fire had broken out in the dispensary of the state-run Medical College and Hospital on October 3 last year. As many as 250 patients were evacuated from the premises, fire officials had said.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The hotel, which was built 25 years ago, has 46 rooms.
• Wooden panelling on corridor caused huge panic among guests.
• Rescuers are now focusing on those still trapped inside hotel rooms.