Prayagraj: Twelve people were rescued after a major fire broke out at a hotel on Mahatma Gandhi Marg in the Civil Lines area of Prayagraj on Monday, gutting property worth crores of rupees.After receiving the alert, teams from the fire department, police, and administration rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. The joint teams successfully rescued 12 people, including hotel staff, who had been trapped inside the building.According to the initial investigation, the fire started when a transformer belonging to the electricity department, located near the hotel, exploded with a loud bang during routine repair work. The flames quickly spread from the transformer and engulfed the hotel’s fourth and top floors within moments.The hotel management had earlier informed the electricity department about a fault in the transformer, following which department employees arrived on Monday to carry out repair work. “During the repair process, a sudden and massive explosion occurred. Immediately after learning about the incident, the hotel management called 112 to alert the police,” said DK Pandey.He further said, “The fire that originated from the transformer initially spread to the hotel’s exterior facade lighting. The blaze then intensified rapidly, went out of control, and engulfed the hotel’s fourth and top floors.”Located next to the famous Coffee House, the major fire incident caused chaos and panic across the entire locality.Upon receiving the alert, at least four fire brigade tenders rushed to the spot. Firefighters faced a tough challenge in containing the blaze due to intense heat and strong winds prevailing at the time. After nearly three hours of continuous efforts, the fire was finally brought under control.Hotel staff said the fire damaged the facade lighting, a newly constructed banquet hall, a storeroom, and a portion of the central office. However, all guests, along with their belongings and baggage, remained safe.SHO, Civil Lines, Ramashraya Yadav told TOI that joint teams of the police and fire department managed to control the blaze after two hours and that no casualties were reported.He added that a joint investigation into the incident is underway and appropriate action will be taken accordingly.
