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Inside Uphaar: 20 years since the fire tragedy
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A fire tragedy that occurred on June 13, 1997 during the screening of Bollywood blockbuster ‘Border’ killed fifty nine people and injured over 100 due to suffocation in the ensuing stampede as the escape routes were blocked by extra chairs. Gopal Ansal and his brother Sushil who owned the cinema were guilty of negligence but were released by the court after paying fines. However the Supreme Court in February 2017 ordered one year in jail for builder Gopal, keeping in mind the larger public interest. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)
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The investigations carried out by several organisations including CBI revealed negligence on part of the proprietor in following basic fire safety measures. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)
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The fire in 1997 exposed poor safety standards at public places in the country. In fact it was not the first time that a fire had broken out in Uphaar cinema hall. In 1983, the Deputy Commissioner who inspected Uphaar had listed many violations which remained unattended until the fire. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)
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In the aftermath of the tragedy the court awarded civil compensation to the relatives of the victims. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)
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Damaged film rolls are seen lying along the staircases of the movie theatre. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)
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A desolate view of the cinema hall, 20 years since it was gutted in a fire. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)
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Today the cinema hall is littered with shoes, bottles, burnt seats, vehicles in the basement and debris all around. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)
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