Dharamshala: A major fire broke out late last night at a popular hotel in the Dhauladhar tourist zone here, triggering panic and forcing the evacuation of several families. The blaze, suspected to have been caused by a gas cylinder explosion—though not yet officially confirmed—engulfed parts of the building, including the recently renovated rooftop.
The heritage status hotel is a property of the HP Tourism Development Corp., (HPYDC) a state public sector company. RS Bali, chairman HPTDC rushed to the spot to supervise the relief and rescue operations. The Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police, Kangra, also reached the site. The fire brigade teams battled the flames for several hours before bringing the situation under control.
The hotel located in Kotwali Bazaar and frequently used by administrative and media personnel during the winter session, has suffered extensive damage, with several rooms and property completely destroyed. Renovation work worth nearly ?1 crore was reportedly underway on the rooftop at the time of the incident.
Local residents, hotel staff, and the administration jointly assisted in evacuating those inside. No casualties have been reported so far.
Authorities have initiated a detailed investigation into the cause of the fire and have urged the public to stay away from the site while relief efforts continue. Security has been tightened in the area, and temporary assistance is being provided to affected individuals.
Meanwhile, HPTDC AGM Kailash Thakur has claimed a loss of approximately ?100 crore in the incident. This hotel is considered the corporation’s oldest in Kangra district. It has a large meeting hall, restaurant, and approximately 27 rooms.
Arvind Sharma is an award winning bi-lingual journalist with more than 20 years of experience.
He has worked with Divya Himachal, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhasker, Vir Partap, Ajit and PTI.
In 2010, he was conferred the Himachal Kesri journalism award. He reports on the Tibetan Government in Exile, politics, sports, tourism and other topics. He lives in Dharamshala.
