On June 13, 1997, tragedy struck Uphaar cinema near Green Park in Delhi. The first day after the renovated movie theatre was thrown open to the public, a fire started from a faulty transformer during the screening of JP Dutta's Border that led to mayhem and stampede.
Fifty-nine people suffocated to death while 109 survived with injuries. The oil leakage and the fire spilled out into the parking lot, leaving 27 parked cars gutted.
As we commemorate 22 years of the Uphaar tragedy, here's looking at 4 other major fire devastations that have rocked India.
Takshila Arcade Fire Tragedy (Surat): A short circuit triggered fire on the 3rd floor of the building which soon spread to the 4th floor, engulfing the Smart Design Studio, where 40 students were present. At least 20 students died and another 16 were critically injured. Grisly videos from the incident saw young students jumping out of the windows and plummeting to their deaths in a bid to escape from the fire.
AMRI Fire Tragedy (Kolkata): A fire broke out at the AMRI Hospital Dhakuria in Kolkata in the early hours of December 9, 2011, due to a short circuit in the electrical system. The incident left 95 people, including members of the staff, dead. The rescue operation by fire brigade was hampered due to lack of a blueprint of the building plan.
Stephen Court Fire Tragedy (Kolkata): A fire broke out in the historic Stephen Court building in Kolkata in 2010 killing 42 people. The building which had no proper fire escapes and a blocked exit saw people on the higher floors perishing for they were trapped with no way out.
Kumbakonam School Fire (Tamil Nadu): 94 children lost their lives in the tragedy that struck Thanjavur District on July 16, 2004. Lack of open space, closely located classrooms and a very small exit gate caused the high casualty rate.
Mandi Dabwali Fire Tragedy (Haryana): A fire broke out in a marquee in Haryana's Mandi Dabwali on December 24, 1995, and the whole burning structure collapsed over the people attending a DAV School function. The fire killed 300 people, mostly children, while 100 were injured.
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