Civic body orders probe in Delhi hotel fire, officials suspect short-circuit

Indicating violation of civic norms including running a makeshift restaurant on the rooftop, municipal officials Tuesday ordered a probe into the fire incident at the Karol Bagh hotel in which at least 17 people including a child were killed.

Suggesting that a short-circuit may have led to the incident, North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) officials said as per the records, the building had faced "intermittent partial demolition" or other civic action under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act from mid-June 1993 to January 1994, for unauthorised constructions.

Officials said the report of the probe is expected to come in three days.

"A probe has been ordered and its report is expected in three days. The probe will seek to find if there were any lapses from the civic officials' end, or Delhi Fire department's end and also talk about ensuring that such incidents do not recur," North Delhi Mayor Adesh Gupta said.

Action will be taken against civic employees if they are found guilty of committing any lapses, he said.

The mayor also visited the site of the fire that broke out in the early hours of Tuesday at Hotel Arpit Palace and took stock of the situation.

"As per preliminary information gathered from the site, it reveals that the incidence of fire occurred on the second floor around 3.30 am today due to short-circuit," a senior official said.

The official said, there are apparent civic norms violations, including running a makeshift restaurant on the rooftop, adding that the probe will take into account all of that and previous violations if any.

As per the preliminary report by the NDMC, the fire, initially broke out on the second floor of the building.

The hotel was first granted a licence in October 2005 and was renewed every year. The last licence renewal was done on May 25, 2018, which is valid till March 31, the official said.

"However, no unauthorised construction has been reported in the recent past. The entire structure is under protection within the provisions of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act," the official claimed.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill gives immunity to slums and some unauthorised constructions until December 31, 2020. The immunity under the exisiting Bill ends on December 31.