Gurugram blaze: Closing of terrace doors violation of norms, says fire department
GURUGRAM: In the aftermath of the fire that broke out at Tulip Orange, a gated condominium in Sector 70, fire department officials said the two locked doors leading to the terrace, which, if open, could have averted the death of a 32-year-old woman, were a fire safety violation.
The fire department officials, however, said that the building had a valid No Objection Certificate (NOC) and was not in violation of other fire safety norms.
The deceased, Swati Garg, was trying to reach the terrace and escape the smoke, and was found outside one of the doors when the fire fighters arrived at the scene.
“Upon verifying our records, we found that the society had the requisite NOC and fire safety norms in place. However, the doors to the terrace were locked, which is a clear violation of the norms,” IS Kashyap, assistant divisional fire safety officer, said.
“The terrace is vital as, in case of a fire, it allows residents to breathe in fresh air until fire department officials are able to evacuate them. Locking the doors to the terrace is a clear violation of the norms,” Kashyap added.
According to Kashyap, the fire department would not be filing any case, because “it is the police’s prerogative”. He, however, said they could submit evidence in court provided a case was filed.
An official statement released by Tulip Infratech also stated that all “necessary approvals” had been taken.