Lucknow hotel fire: Probe report submitted; LDA, Fire officials held responsible

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 10 (ANI): The high-level committee formed to probe the hotel Levana fire tragedy that claimed four lives, has submitted its report to the state government on Friday.
Before submitting the joint investigation report, the Commissioner of Lucknow Division and Lucknow Police Commissioner held a meeting with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
According to sources, the report mentioned negligence as the cause of the fire and held six departments including Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (LESA), District Administration, Fire Services, Lucknow Municipal Corporation and Excise Department as responsible for the incident.
The names of officers and engineers responsible for the fire incident were mentioned in the investigation report. The report suggested action on officers of LDA and Fire services.
Further, the joint report mentioned a list of illegally-built hotels in Lucknow. It also suggested action against hotels running flouting the guidelines.
Four people died and 10 were injured after a massive fire broke out at Hotel Levana in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area in the morning hours of Monday.
Following the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a joint inquiry by Commissioner Lucknow division and Police Commissioner Lucknow into the cause of the fire incident at the hotel.
Lucknow Police registered an FIR and detained the owners and general manager of Hotel Levana.
“We have detained hotel owners Rohit, Rahul Agarwal and their general manager. FIR has been registered. An inquiry committee consisting of Police Commissioner Lucknow and Divisional Commissioner will probe the matter,” Piyush Mordia, Joint Commissioner of Police, Lucknow.

Further, the Fire Services officials inspected the hotel on Monday to ascertain the cause of the fire.
Meanwhile, the Lucknow administration ordered to seal and demolish the hotel.
“Lucknow’s Levana Hotel is to be demolished. Lucknow Divisional Commissioner has given instructions to seal and demolish. No copy of the approved map of the hotel was given to Lucknow Development Authority (LDA),” said Roshan Jacob, Lucknow Commissioner. (ANI)