NDMC probe team visits Hotel Arpit; DC of Keshawpuram heading it: Official

The probe team of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) Wednesday visited the site of accident at a hotel in Karol Bagh, a day after a massive fire in it killed 17 people, officials said. "The team is headed by the deputy commissioner of the neighbouring Keshawpuram Zone, to ensure impartial probe," a senior NDMC official said.

The team visited the site a day after the mayor had ordered a probe. Indicating violation of civic norms including running a makeshift restaurant on the rooftop, municipal officials Tuesday had ordered a probe into the fire incident at the Hotel Arpit Palace which falls under Karol Bagh Zone of the NDMC.

Officials said the report of the probe is expected to come by Saturday. "A probe has been ordered and its report is expected in three days. The probe will seek to find if there were any lapses from the civic officials' end, or Delhi Fire department's end and also talk about ensuring that such incidents do not recur," North Delhi Mayor Adesh Gupta said Tuesday.

Action will be taken against civic employees if they are found guilty of committing any lapses, he said. The mayor had also visited the site of the fire that broke out in the early hours of Tuesday and took stock of the situation.

Suggesting that a short-circuit may have led to the incident, a senior NDMC official had Tuesday said, as per the records, the building had faced "intermittent partial demolition" or other civic action under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act from mid-June 1993 to January 1994, for unauthorised constructions. There are apparent civic norms violations, including running a makeshift restaurant on the rooftop, adding that the probe will take into account all of that and previous violations if any, the official said.

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