Four hotels sealed, six get notice for failing on safety checks

LUCKNOW: A day after six people, including an toddler, were killed in a devastating fire that gutted two hotels in Guru Nanak Market, Charbagh, four hotels in the locality were sealed, while six others were served notice for violation of fire safety and building norms on Wednesday. The hotels were told to evacuate all guests by Thursday and would be sealed thereafter.

Besides the gutted SSJ International and Viraat Hotel International, Hotel Megha of SSJ chain and Shakti Hotel were sealed by officials on the orders of Lucknow divisional commissioner.

Teams of police, chief fire officer, administrative officials, Lucknow development authority (LDA) and Nagar Nigam began inspection of hotels at 12.30pm.

The committee formed by chief minister, headed by ADG (Lucknow zone) visited the two hotels in the evening and started probe.

City magistrate Vivek Srivastava said that 10 hotels were inspected in all out of which four were sealed, while six others were served notice for sealing. "They were not sealed because guests were staying there. SSJ Hotel Megha and Shakti Hotel were asked to show registration certificate, no-objection certificate but they could not produce them, as a result they were sealed. They lacked fire-fighting tools too," said Srivastava.

When the officials reached for inspection, owner of Shakti Hotel locked the main gate to dodge officials. However, the cops got it opened.

District magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said that the drive will be intensified and sub-divisional magistrates, additional city magistrates will be included to expedite the drive.

Around 4.20pm, ADG (Lucknow zone) Rajeev Krishna, IG (Lucknow range) Sujeet Pandey, LDA V-C Prabhu Narayan Singh, chief fire officer and team of Forensic Science Laboratory also visited the site. Officials inspected SSJ International and Viraat Hotel while the FSL team members collected samples.

"The FSL unit will study the pattern of fire and reasons for its cause and spread. It seems that fire spread vertically in SSJ International and moved horizontally in Viraat Hotel," said IG Sujeet Pandey. "There was only one entry and exit, no ventilation in the hotels. The liquor stored in bar, wooden furnishing and upholstery fanned the fire," ADG Krishna said.