Bhopal News: Resort Functioned Without Safety Audit, Probe Team Formed

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The guest house cum resort in Bhauri where a short circuit triggered a fire and LPG cylinder blast on Monday night, was being run without any fire safety audit while posing a risk to the lives of the guests at the marriage reception, revealed preliminary investigation by fire officials.

BMC fire safety officer Saurabh Patel said a team had been constituted to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident. Further action will be taken based on the findings particularly regarding violations of mandatory fire safety norms and operation without certification.

The incident took place at 10 pm when a wedding reception was underway at the resort. Eyewitnesses claimed that fire broke out reportedly due to a short circuit. The fire triggered a panic among guests who immediately started running away.

During the blaze, an LPG cylinder kept on the premises exploded with a massive impact. The explosion was so powerful that its sound was heard several kilometres away while flames shot nearly 50 feet high, leading to chaos at the venue as people ran for safety.

Three fire tenders rushed to the spot from Gandhinagar, Bairagarh and Fatehgarh fire stations and managed to bring the blaze under control within about an hour.

However, firefighters continued working to completely douse the flames and cool the affected area. JCB machines were also deployed to clear and secure the damaged portion.

No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident. Fire safety officials said no one was present on the spot where the cylinder exploded.