Fire breaks out in top Ahmedabad hotel; no casualties

The blaze started following a short-circuit in the motor of kitchen duct on the first floor of Courtyard Marriott Hotel located on Satellite Road, the official said.

Four fire tenders were rushed to the spot after receiving information from hotel authorities and eyewitnesses.

"The fire was brought under control within two hours. There are no casualties. The estimated losses amount to Rs 4-5 lakh," Additional Chief Fire Officer Rajesh Bhatt told PTI.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC)'s Health Department had issued a notice to Courtyard Marriott over its poor disposal of food waste which would get accumulated in the kitchen duct, he said.

The oily stuff in the waste obstructed the smooth flow of hot air. As a result, the duct's motor was heavily loaded and this subsequently resulted in an electric short-circuit, causing the fire today, Bhatt explained.

This was not the first fire incident at the luxury hotel. On March 31, 2011, a blaze had broken out in the steam bath unit located in the health club on the third floor of the hotel due to an electrical snag.

The civic body had temporarily sealed the hotel at that time for non-adherence of fire safety norms, Bhatt said.

Whenever the city hosts international cricket matches, players are put up in Courtyard Marriott. In November and December last year, the England and thereafter Pakistani teams stayed in this hotel.