Urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri calls Kamala Mills fire 'wake up call' for Delhi, slams 'rampant flouting' of fire safety norms

New Delhi: A day after a massive fire in a central Mumbai rooftop pub claimed 14 lives, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said it was a “wake-up call” for Delhi and called for “zero tolerance” towards those flouting fire and safety norms in the national capital. The housing and urban affairs minister said rampant construction and flouting of fire and safety norms was turning Delhi into tinderbox. He tweeted:

Anguished & angry at apathy that caused Mumbai tragedy. Heart goes out to bereaved families. A wake up call for Delhi. Rampant construction & flouting of fire & safety norms turning city into tinderbox. There should be Zero tolerance for individuals & cartels who allow this. pic.twitter.com/QlmhgAqOVR

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) December 30, 2017

A massive fire swept through a plush rooftop pub in downtown Mumbai during a birthday bash before swiftly raging through the building, leaving 14 people dead and 21 injured. Among those killed was Khushbu Bansali, the woman who was celebrating her 29th birthday at 1Above pub in upscale Parel’s Kamala Mill compound, and several of her friends. While some escaped to safety, for others, the way was blocked by fire and smoke. Many panicked patrons locked themselves up in the washroom of the restaurant to escape the blaze. Most of the victims, including 11 women, died due to suffocation.