City-wide fire safety inspections underway after Delhi hotel fire
A deadly blaze at a Delhi hotel which killed 17 people last week has sparked a review of fire safety at more than 1,500 hotels across the city.
The Hotel Arpit Palace had passed at fire safety inspection in late 2017 but an initial police investigation after the fire pointed to several breaches of fire regulations, according to a Reuters report.
This has led to Delhi fire service to review all hotels but it could take months to complete.
"Fire officers have to do a lot of work. We have to be inspectors and fight fires. We do not have the manpower," said Vipin Kental, Delhi’s chief fire officer.
The city only has about 1,700 firefighters.
A 2018 report by India’s home ministry said India only has 2,000 fire stations and needs more than 8,000 to cope adequately, particularly in its sprawling cities where fires are common.
The Hotel Arpit Palace fire started on the first floor and quickly spread through corridors covered in wood panelling.
"From the outside, the building looked intact, but inside everything was completely charred," a police officer said.
Kental also said most hotel and restaurant staff do not have the knowledge to help evacuate customers in a fire.
"They are not trained. They don’t know what to do in the event of a fire," he said.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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