Two arrested in Delhi hotel fire tragedy case
New Delhi, Feb 12 (IBNS): The general manager of Arpit Palace Hotel and another person have been arrested for safety violations after a fire at the hotel killed 17 people in the early hours today, reports said.
An FIR in the case was registered under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code.
The fire, which ravaged the top two floors of the six-storey building, is suspected to have caught from a short circuit.
The Prime Minister's Office tweeted: "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."
Deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to a fire at Karol Bagh in Delhi.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 12, 2019
I convey my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.
May the injured recover soon: PM @narendramodi
Tourism minister K.J. Alphons and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejrival both visited the location.
The Delhi government has ordered a magisterial investigation into the fire tragedy. An inspection of all buildings in the area has been ordered to check if they were abiding by fire safety rules.
The Delhi chief minister announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh each for the kin of the deceased.
Reacting to the compensation amount former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir attacked the AAP government in Delhi.
"Surely a human life is worth much more than INR 5 lakh @ArvindKejriwal. It underlines what our machinery thinks about us, d common man. Compensation is merely a bandaid on an oozing wound whereas Delhi needs surgeries and it should begin with a systemic overhaul @AamAadmiParty," Gambhir wrote on Twitter tagging chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
"It’s so sad to see the callousness of regulators with regards to building laws being traded with loss of human lives," Gambhir said.
After visiting the site, tourism minister K.J. Alphons told reporters that the exit routes of the hotel were very narrow and did not meet specifications.
"I just talked to the guard. He said the at night, the emergency exit is closed," the minister told NDTV.
Image Credit: AAP, Satyendar Jain Twitter pages
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