‘Hotel staffers were partying on terrace before fire erupted’

Plates, liquor bottles found, says Fire Dept officer; security guard had locked back gate post-celebrations

 

The staffers of Hotel Arpit Palace at Karol Bagh were partying on the terrace before the fire broke out in the premises on Tuesday early morning, said a Fire Department officer on Wednesday.

A Fire Department officer who was among the first responders to reach the terrace said that plates and liquor bottles were found on the terrace of the hotel. “When enquired about the situation, a staff member told that they were partying on the terrace till 2.30 a.m. and everyone dispersed at 3 a.m. The security guard had locked the back gate [fire exit] like any other day at 3 a.m, after which all the staff members retired for the day,” said the officer.

Fled the scene

The guard also went to sleep after locking the back door but the moment the fire broke out, he along with other staff members ran away without helping people trapped inside the building.

On Tuesday, the police had arrested hotel’s general manager Rajender Kumar and receptionist Vikas Kumar Takkal. They said that they tried to help the people trapped inside the building but were unable to do much. “I was at home when I got a call from the hotel staff informing about the fire incident. I rushed to the hotel and informed the Fire Department and local police about the situation. I regret that I could not do much to save the lives,” said the hotel general manager.

It appears that the hotel staff did not inform the Fire Department or the police about the incident and it delayed the rescue process by more than an hour, said a Fire Department officer.

The firemen had to break open the windows and rescue the people as they were unable to unlock the windows. The back gate that opens to a narrow lane was found locked. This led to more casualties.

“It has been revealed that the owner, operator and management staff were running an illegal kitchen on the rooftop and basement of the building without receiving permission of any agency concerned. It is further submitted that highly inflammable material has been used in the decoration and interiors of the hotels without taking No-Objection Certificate from the civic agency,” said a Fire Department officer.