25 years after Uphaar tragedy, fire hazards abound across national capital

New Delhi, Dec 4 Other than natural disasters like an earthquake hitting the city, Delhiites also face the danger of recurring fire incidents.

Every time the irked citizens ask: "Why aren't the authorities strict enough to ensure the implementation of the fire safety measures in Delhi?"

From Uphaar to Mundka to Narela and now Bhagirath Palace, the city continues to witness frequent fire incidents, killing innocents.

It was 25 years back when the 3 p.m. screening of the movie 'Border' at Uphaar cinema in south Delhi's Green Park was disrupted by a major fire which caused 59 deaths due to asphyxiation while 103 were injured in the resulting stampede. It was one of the worst fire tragedies to take place in Delhi.

After the Uphaar tragedy that took place in 1997, a chemical factory at Lal Kuan in Old Delhi caught fire, killing 57 people two years later.

In 2011, 14 people were killed and over 30 injured in a fire at a community function of eunuchs in Nand Nagri.

The year 2018 was the worst of all as incidents of fire occurred thrice that year. A fire in a factory in Bawana Industrial Area, which was manufacturing firecrackers without a licence, killed 17 workers in January; four members of a family, including two minors, were killed in a fire at Kohat Enclave in April and four people were killed and one injured in a blaze at a factory in Karol Bagh in November.

In February 2019, a fire caused by a short-circuit in the air conditioner in a room at Hotel Arpit Palace in Karol Bagh killed 17 people. The hotel did not have a fire No Objection Certificate

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