New Delhi: Four people have died and at least 10 injured in the fire at the Levana Suites Hotel in Hazratganj, Lucknow that prompted authorities to issue orders for demolition of the four-storey building after following the "due process", as reported by news agency PTI. The owners of Levana, Rahul Agarwal and Rohit Agarwal have been detained by the Lucknow Police for questioning. Along with this, an order to demolish this hotel has also been issued. 


According to the information, the fire broke out in the hotel on Monday morning. After this, the rescue work started and most of the 40 people staying in the hotel have been rescued. However, four people died due to fire and smoke. 


Four policemen involved in the rescue workers were admitted to the Civil Hospital in serious condition. It is being told that the hotel operators did not even take the NOC of the fire department.


"Two more people who were found in a serious condition during room-to-room search of the hotel were rushed to the civil hospital. They have declared brought dead by doctors," Joint Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, Piyush Mordia told PTI.


"The deceased have been identified as Gurnoor Singh Anand (28), a resident of Naka Hindola (Lucknow), Sahiba Kaur alias Jaspreet (26), a resident of Ganeshganj (Lucknow), Shravika Singh (30), a resident of Indiranagar (Lucknow) and Aman Ghazi alias Bobby (35), a resident of Khurramnagar (Lucknow)," the Lucknow district administration said in a statement.


Ujjawal, who was staying on the second floor of the hotel, said the fire broke out at around 7 am and he saw smoke in his room.


"When I came out, I along with others tried to get out, but thick smoke engulfed the entire floor. I could not see anything due to the smoke. Then we reached the third floor and broke a window to come out and were rescued," he said as quoted by PTI.


According to the order, the hotel was built without passing the map and was running for about 10 years. Notices were also issued twice on 26 May and 28 August 2022 regarding not passing the map to this hotel.


"Prima facie, despite the lack of fire escape management system, and iron grilles on the facade, how fire NOC was given is a matter of investigation," said Jacob, who is also the chairman of Lucknow Development Authority (LDA).


"The owners did not provide any map of the building approved as a hotel to the LDA. A notice was issued by the zonal officer on May 26, and another on August 28 as no reply was given. In this regard, the hotel be immediately sealed as per law and then be demolished,” Jacob said in an order.


(With PTI Inputs)