Damage of assets is to be assessed and investigation is continued |
| PHOTO BY KSHITIZ KANT AND MOHD FUZAIL LUCKNOW |
SUCHIT BAJPAI; LUCKNOW
Horrific fire caught in two hotels situated at the
overcrowded area Lucknow a few yard away from Charbagh railway station on
Tuesday early morning. The casualties of 5 persons have been reported and 15
are seriously injured; the trapped victims of fire were rescued and rushed to
nearby Civil Hospital, but the death toll may rise.
The fire engulfed in the premises of SSJ International
hotel and into adjacent hotel Virat International where the whole valuables,
the stuffs of hotel and the luggage of stayed men-- all ruined and gutted into the fire and turned to the ash. The leakage in the LPG inside the kitchen is told the cause of rapidly
spreading this fire.
The Police Recruitment Board competitive examination
held in the city and the candidates' presence and their stay cannot be denied
with the other normal tourists and outsiders who come to visit with the
business purpose.
The spot where the incident has taken place is at
the walking steps of railway and bus station; so the overcrowded visitors for next day
in the city, and then the damage inside the hotels at the hours of people’s
sleep when the fire caught, cannot be assessed lesser.
A tourist told to pressmen, "We heard a loud
explosion-like sound in the morning and when we came out, there was fire and
smoke everywhere. Nobody was there to guide us. We managed to get out by ourselves.
No one from the hotel staff was present."
“According to eye-witnesses, the flames and
smoke were first seen at around 5:30 am. The police got information around 6:05
am.”
According to official statement, the prima facie
facts reveal that the fire started from the basement of SSJ International Bar
and Hotel due to short circuit and spread to other floors and the adjacent
building, which houses another hotel. Within minutes, Hotel Viraat
International was also up in flames.
Five people have died and more than 50 people were
rescued from the building. Cause of fire is yet to be ascertained. If we find
any lapse on hotel's part during our investigation, we will take strict action
against the people concerned," said IG Lucknow S Pandey.
