Himalaya House terrace was locked

Investigation in the fire at Himalaya House on Kasturba Gandhi Marg in which one person was killed has revealed that had the door to the terrace not been locked it could have served as an escape route. HT reports.

Investigation in the fire at Himalaya House on Kasturba Gandhi Marg in which one person was killed has revealed that had the door to the terrace not been locked it could have served as an escape route.

HT Image

“As the floor was full of smoke, the guard could have tried to run upstairs. We found that the door to the terrace was locked and hence one could not have used it. The door which should have remained open and served as an emergency exit was locked when the fire broke out,” said a senior Delhi Fire Service official.

The initial findings by the fire department have revealed all these details and the police said they are waiting for a final report before taking the next step. The investigation also revealed that the guard died while trying to escape from the 11th floor.

“We also found that the electric shafts of the building were not properly sealed and smoke easily travelled from one floor to another. We are asking the management about this,” added the official.