The Hotel Arpit got No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department in 2017 that was valid for three years, said Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Atul Garg on Tuesday. However, the restaurant located on the roof was illegal and had not obtained an NOC from the department.
In a letter accessed by The Hindu , the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) had certified Crossroads bar and restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel.
The hotel comprised basement, ground floor and four upper floors. Crossroads restaurant having two exits was inspected by the DFS and an NOC was granted for the period of three years. The permission was granted in 2016 and it was valid for 36 months.
“The DFS confirmed that the restaurant on the ground floor had a fire NOC. However, the other restaurant on the terrace did not have any fire safety clearance. The fact might be it was concealed or it was built after the inspection was done,” said a senior DFS officer.
According to DFS, a total 1,540 hotels in the city have obtained an NOC from the department. Hotel Arpit had procured the NOC under the guest house category.
The fire safety officer who visited the building after the incident found that the safety equipment appeared to be poorly maintained.
