Two including an IRS officer died after jumping off the hotel on fire
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.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
