Manager killed as fire breaks out at North Delhi banquet hall

The manager of a banquet hall was killed in a fire that broke out at the four-storey building on GT Karnal Road near Ashok Vihar in north-west Delhi on Tuesday evening, police and fire department officials said

The manager of a banquet hall was killed in a fire that broke out at the four-storey building on GT Karnal Road near Ashok Vihar in north-west Delhi on Tuesday evening, police and fire department officials said.

Image for representation (ANI Photo)

Though the manager, identified as Harsh Chopra, was rescued by firefighters and rushed to a nearby hospital, he was declared brought dead at the hospital, said police.

The banquet hall fire comes four days after a devastating fire at a four-storey commercial building in Mundka claimed the lives of 27 people and left 17 injured. The owner of the building and two brothers who were running an industrial unit from there have been arrested in the case

Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg said the fire control room received a call at 5.47pm alerting them about a fire at Atlantis banquet hall on GT Karnal Road. “A total of 10 fire tenders were dispatched to the scene and around 6.45 pm, we received information that a man named Harsh Chopra,30, was found in unconscious inside the building and rushed to the hospital,” said Garg.

Additional deputy commissioner of police (north-west) Krishan Kumar said police were alerted about the fire at 5.53pm.A team from Bharat Nagar police station reached the spot and learnt that the fire had started on the ground floor near the stage and it soon engulfed all four floors of the building.

“Chopra was trapped on the first floor. Rescuers found him unconscious and rushed him to a private hospital, where he was declared brought dead,” said additional DCP Kumar, adding that 11 other people, who were inside the building when the fire started managed to get out safely. It was not immediately clear whether Chopra died of asphyxiation from smoke inhalation or from burn injuries, the police said.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia also tweeted on the incident.“Delhi Govt is in touch with Fire Service regarding the incident at GT Karnal Road. We are closely monitoring all efforts to keep the situation under control. Praying that everybody is safe & well,” he said.

Garg said although the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, firefighters suspect that a short-circuit may have led to the blaze. “The firefighting operation is still on. Further information would come once the fire is completely doused,” said the fire services chief.

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