NDMC probe team visits Arpit Hotel fire site in Karol Bagh
A team of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) on Wednesday visited the site of Karol Bagh hotel in Delhi, where a massive fire incident claimed the lives of 17 people, officials said. The team visited the site a day after the mayor had ordered a probe. "The team is headed by the deputy commissioner of the neighbouring Keshawpuram Zone, to ensure impartial probe," a senior NDMC official said.
A probe into the fire incident at the Hotel Arpit Palace was ordered on Tuesday by the municipal officials. The hotel falls under Karol Bagh Zone of the NDMC and indicated violation of civic norms including running a makeshift restaurant on the rooftop.
According to the officials, the report of the probe is expected to come by Saturday.
Commenting on the incident, North Delhi Mayor Adesh Gupta on Tuesday said, "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."
Action will be taken against civic employees if they are found guilty of committing any lapses, he said.
The mayor had also visited the site of the fire that broke out early on Tuesday and took stock of the situation.
Suggesting that a short-circuit may have led to the incident, a senior NDMC official on Tuesday 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.
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, the official said.
