Vijayawada hotel owners avoided electric repairs due to huge costs involved: FIR
It appears that the management of the Hotel Swarna Palace and the Ramesh Hospital had knowledge that there are electric defects in the lodge, and as rectification of defects involved with huge amount, they avoided to repair it, states FIR
Vijayawada: A first information report (FIR) was registered in the Vijayawada hotel fire incident, claiming at least 11 lives, on Sunday morning.
The FIR has been filed by Tahsildar and Incident Commander, Vijayawada Central that read, "I am to state that the Ramesh Hospital Vijayawada had MoU with the Swarna Palace Hotel for running COVID-19 Centre in order to give treatment to the COVID-19 patients on a paid basis. It appears that the management of the Hotel Swarna Palace and the Ramesh Hospital had knowledge that there are electric defects in the lodge, and as rectification of defects involved with huge amount, they avoided to repair it."
Knowing the fact that if defects were not rectified, there is every possibility of shortage of electricity, they opened the COVID-19 Centre in the Swarna Palace on August 9 and electric shortage occurred in Swarna Palace, resulting in the death of 10 persons while 20 patients and other staff of the hospital have received injuries, the FIR further read.
"I request you to register a case against the Swarna Palace and Ramesh Hospital management and take necessary action," Tahsildar and Incident Commander, Vijayawada Central stated in the FIR.
The blaze was sparked by an air-conditioner unit that short-circuited on the ground floor of Swarna Palace. The hotel was leased by a private hospital to house Covid-19 patients.
The Andhra Pradesh government announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹50 lakh each to the kin of the victims.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy over the phone and enquired about the incident.
Reddy told Modi that a private hospital had taken the star hotel on lease to treat COVID-19 patients. The PM assured all possible help and support to the families of the victims, a release from the CMO said.
State Home Minister M Sucharita said an electrical short circuit appeared to be the possible cause of the fire mishap in the wee hours of Sunday.
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This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.