New Delhi: Three persons jumped off different floors of a hotel which caught fire in central Delhi in the wee hours of Tuesday, two of whom including an IRS office died in a desperate bid to save themselves.
A 33-year-old Myanmar national, Chan Chan, also jumped off the second floor of over 25-year-old structure but survived with a fracture in her leg. The massive fire engulfed the ‘Arpit Palace Hotel’ in congested Karol Bagh area, killing 17 people. Most of the victims were asphyxiated due to heave smoke, officials said. Suresh Kumar, a 52-year-old Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officer, and Tara Chand (30), cook of the hotel, died after jumping from the hotel, said a police officer.
Kumar was resident of Sector-21, Panchkula. Chand was native of Uttarakhand and lived at Baljeet Nagar here, police said. “Chan Chan, a 33-year-old tourist guide from Myanmar, who was part of a group, saved her life by jumping off the second floor of the hotel,” said an official of Myanmar embassy. She is currently undergoing treatment at the Lady Hardinge Hospital.
“The group had come to Delhi from Myanmar. Prior to visiting Delhi, they had gone to Bodh Gaya. The group was on a Buddhist trail. The families of the deceased have been informed and their bodies would be sent back to the country after completion of formalities,” he said. Seven persons from Myanmar who were on a visit to India were staying at the hotel. They were accompanied by a local photographer who died in the fire. Two of the Myanmarese died in the incident, he said. The group was scheduled to go to Varanasi as part of the Buddhist trail, he added.
