Karol Bagh Hotel Fire: Delhi government cancels fire safety licences of 30 hotels for violating security norms

Days after the massive fire at a hotel in Karol Bagh in which17 people lost their lives, the Delhi government has cancelled fire safety licences of 30 other hotels in the area in the past two days for various code violations.

Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain informed that in aftermath of the Karol Bagh fire incident, 45 hotels have been inspected by fire department officials in the area in the last two days and 30 of the hotels were found to be in violation of the rules. Seeing this, the safety certificates of hotels in violation were cancelled. 

Furthermore, the fire department in the national capital will also intensify its drive against the hotels which violate the code across the city in order to prevent another tragic incident in the coming future, Satyendar Jain told the news agency PTI.

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According to the minister, municipal corporations and police have also been asked to take necessary actions to seal the hotels in violation.

"On February 13, 23 hotels were inspected by the fire department and of this, 13 were found violating fire safety norms. Next day, 17 hotels out of 22 were found to have violated rules. We have written to municipal corporation and police to take steps to seal them," he said.

The Delhi minister also told that in its report the fire department said that hotel management used carpets and covered walls with wooden material, which fueled the fire.minister A magisterial inquiry in underway in the matter, he further added. He later said that the drive to ensure safety of the citizens in the city will continue against errant hotels violating fire safety norms in their setups.

On February 12, a fire tragedy at Karol Bagh's Arpit Palace hotel had claimed the lives of 17 guests. It was suggested that a number of people died because there was no space to escape from the corridors.

READ: 17 People Killed, Several Injured In Fire At Hotel In Delhi's Karol Bagh Area, CM Arvind Kejriwal Announces Rs 5 Lakh Aid To Victims' Families

(With PTI inputs)