OBJECTIVE

To create awareness about the fire

incident that occurred at Uphaar
Cinema New Delhi on Friday 13 June
1997. 

To analyze the cause, shortcomings,

failures, consequences and remedial
measures to prevent recurrence of
such incidents.
 INTRODUCTION
The Uphaar Cinema fire, one of the
worst fire tragedies in Indian
history occurred on Friday, 13 June
1997 at Uphaar Cinema, in Green Park,
New Delhi, at about 0455 PM during
screening of the movie Border Trapped
inside, 59 people died, mostly due to
suffocation, and 103 were seriously
injured in the resulting stampede.
 Chronology of events
June 13, 1997: 0655 A.M.
The bigger of the two transformers installed
and maintained by Delhi Vidyut Board on the
ground floor of the Uphaar building caught fire
7.25 A M. June-13, 1997
The fire was brought under control by Fire
Services.
10.30 A M June-13, 1997
 Inspectors from Delhi Vidyut Board along with
Senior Fitter, conducted repairs on the
transformer by replacing two aluminium lugs on
the B-Phase of the low tension cable leads.
 Chronology of events
11.30 A M June-13, 1997
The transformer was recharged for
resumption of electric supply.
4.55 p.m. June-13, 1997
Transformer caught fire and started
leaking transformer oil spreading the fire
to the adjacent parking lot where cars
were parked.
The result was that all the cars parked in
the parking area on the ground floor of
the cinema hall were ablaze.
 Chronology of events
The burning cars created a lot of smoke.  Since
the smoke had no other place to go and it has a
tendency to go upward, it started going up
through the stairway to the balcony foyer. 
 The northern bound smoke encountered a
gate which was adjacent to a staircase leading
to the cinema auditorium on the first floor. Due
to chimney effect, the smoke gushed into the
stairwell and eventually entered the cinema
auditorium through a door and through the air
conditioning ducts.
 Chronology of events
 The southward bound smoke similarly travelled
aerially through another staircase into the lower
portion of the balcony of the auditorium from the
left side. All this happened while a large number
of people were seated in the auditorium enjoying
the matinee show of ‘BORDER’, .
 Because of smoke and carbon monoxide
released by the burning oil and other
combustible material, the people in the
auditorium started suffocating.
520 p.m. June-13, 1997
At least 48 fire tenders were pressed into service
and it took them over an hour to put out the
fire.
 Cause of Fire
 It is alleged that repairs conducted on the
transformer in the earlier part of the day were
unsatisfactory and resulted in loose connections
that caused sparking on the B-Phase of the
transformer where such repairs were carried
out. This resulted in the loosening of one of the
cables of the transformer which eventually
started dangling loose along the transformer fins
and burnt a hole in the fin.

 Through this hole the transformer oil started

leaking out which, on account of the heat
generated by the loose cable touching against
the transformer fins, ignited the oil .
 Cause of Fire
Since the transformer did not have an oil soak pit as
required under the regulations and the standard
practice, the oil that spread out of the enclosure
continued leaking and spreading the fire to the
adjacent parking lot where cars were parked at a
distance of no more than a meter from the door of the
transformer.
The burning oil came in contact with a car which
caught fire.  This fire came in contact with a few more
cars, with the result that 27 cars burnt.  The burning
cars created a lot of smoke.  Since the smoke had no
other place to go and it has a tendency to go upward,
it started going up through the stairway to the balcony
foyer. 
 Fire Safety violations
During the investigation the following fire safety
violation has been observed :

No functional public announcement system (no

announcement was made when the fire broke
out).
when the fire broke out at 1655 hours, the movie
was not stopped nor any announcement made to
evacuate the audience.
There was no emergency light ,Exit signs were
not battery-operated and once the lights went
out, The cinema hall was in pitch darkness when
the fire broke out.
 Fire Safety violations
Blocked gangways due to additional seats.
(the hall had made unauthorized extensions
and additions to seats)

 Blocked exits (many exit doors – including

the one leading to the terrace – and gates
were locked)
Unauthorised use of premises (shops were
being run from spaces supposed to be empty)
On the second floor balcony of the theatre,
where victims were asphyxiated, “the space
provided for exhaust fans on the walls was
found blocked with the help of a cardboard”
 Fire Safety violations
The entire framework right from the
installation to maintenance was defective and
rules were breached.  Neither circuit breakers,
nor relays, nor earthing were provided.  
 Approval was not taken before installation of
1000 KVA transformer and cable trenches were
not provided.  
No maintenance schedule was maintained by
the Vidyut Board nor were the mandatory and
periodic tests carried out.
 Fire Safety violations
Arrangements were not made to
prevent the flow of transformer oil
from the sub station to the other parts
of the building.
 The standards prescribed for such a
power installation in the Indian
Electricity Act & Rules & Bureau of
Indian Standards, were not adhered
to.
 The investigation and trial
Following the inquiry, on November 15, 1997,
filed chargesheet against 16 accused, including
theatre owners Sushil and Gopal Ansal, for
causing death by negligence, endangering life
and relevant provisions of the Cinematography
Act, 1952.
The Court finally concluded that the licensee of
Uphaar Cinema, the licensing branch of the Delhi
Police, the Delhi Vidyut Board and the Municipal
Corporation of Delhi were all responsible for
having contributed to the spreading of fire and
smoke.
 Final Verdict
On 19 August 2015, Supreme court of
India imposed a fine on Ansal
brothers(Shushil and Gopal) for ₹ 30
crores each and held that their jail terms
will be reduced to the term already
undergone by them if they pay the fine,
considering their old age.
However this decision has been
criticized by activists fighting for the victims
of the tragedy.
 FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
MEASURES FOR CINEMA HALL
Materials used in construction of cinema building
shall have the requisite fire resistant rating to
prevent rapid spread of fire, smoke or fumes.
Lift shafts and stairways serve as flues or funnels
thus increasing the fire by increased draught and
their designs shall be of enclosed type as to reduce
or avoid possibility and consequent spread of fire.
Surface furnishes on walls and ceilings shall be of
such finishing materials so as to minimize spread
of flame in case of fire..
 FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
MEASURES FOR CINEMA HALL
All exits shall be free from obstruction.
All exits from the auditorium shall be clearly
indicated by the word EXIT in red letter of size 175
mm high"People were advised to use mask or
handkerchief.
Exit shall be clearly visible and the routes to reach
the exit shall be clearly marked and sign posted to
guide the population of the floor concerned. Sign
shall be illuminated and wired to an independent
electrical circuit on an alternative source of
supply.
 FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
MEASURES FOR CINEMA HALL
Sufficient number of emergency lights fed from
independent source , with the provision of
automatic switching ON in case of failure of
main supply shall be provided.
Lighting conductors shall be provided in each
cinema building in accordance with the
requirements given in IS: 2309-1969.
Seats in places of public assembly,
accommodating more than 300 persons, shall be
securely fastened to the floor.
 FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
MEASURES FOR CINEMA HALL
Rooms containing high pressure boilers,
refrigerating machinery of other than domestic
refrigerator type, large transformers or other
service equipment subject to possible explosion
shall not be located directly under or adjacent
to the required exits. All such rooms shall be
effectively cut off from other parts of the
building and provided with adequate vents to
the outer air.
 FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
MEASURES FOR CINEMA HALL
Automatic smoke vents shall be installed above
the auditorium of theatres, including motion
picture houses, with vent area equal to not less
than 3.3 percent of the floor area of the
auditorium, including the sum of the floor areas
of all balconies, galleries, boxes and tiers. It may
be desirable to provide a large number of small
vents rather than a small number of large vents.
 FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
MEASURES FOR CINEMA HALL
Automatic smoke vents shall be installed above the
auditorium of theatres, including motion picture
houses, with vent area equal to not less than 3.3
percent of the floor area of the auditorium, including
the sum of the floor areas of all balconies, galleries,
boxes and tiers.
Notices shall be posted stating that smoking is
prohibited.
All cinema buildings including multistoried
buildings shall be planned, designed and constructed
to ensure fire safety.
 Fixed Fire Fighting Installations
Static Water Storage Tanks - Underground
static storage tank of at least 50 000 litres for
buildings of height up to 15 m shall always be
available for the purposes of fire fighting with
arrangements of replenishment by main or
alternative source of supply at the rate of 1 000
litres per minute. When this is not practicable,
the capacity of static storage tank(s) shall be
increased proportionately in consultation with
the local fire brigade.
 Automatic Sprinklers
Automatic sprinklers shall be installed in
basements exceeding area 200 square
meter.

 Automatic high velocity water spray or

emulsifying system shall be provided for
protection of indoor transformers.
 Portable fire extinguishers
Portable fire extinguishers shall be
provided as per NBC.
 The extinguisher shall be so located that
no point within the floor area covered is
more than 15 m from the nearest
extinguisher by the normal route of travel.
Fire fighting equipment shall be suitably
located and clearly marked by illuminated
signs, wired to an independent electric
circuit on an alternate source of Supply.
 Automatic fire alarm system
Automatic fire alarm system conforming to
IS : 2189-1976 shall be installed in auditoria,
corridor, foyer, canteen, and the space used
for storage purposes so that any fire is
detected at its very inception.
Additional precautionary measures in
regard to fire fighting arrangements shall be
provided as per the requirements of local
fire Authority.
 CONCLUSION
Fire Risk in all occupancies, especially in
Assembly Buildings like the Uphar Cinema hall
New Delhi must be of prime concern from the
Fire and Life Safety point of view. Even a small
negligence, careless attitude may often lead to
serious disastrous situations resulting in losses
to the human lives and valuable property.
 The Fire and Life Safety Risk can be
mitigated through efficient design and
integration of active and passive Fire Protection
measures and Smoke Management.
CONCLUSION
A Well designed Evacuation Plan, its
Periodical Rehearsal, Reviews and updating it,
are the keys behind Life Safety of the
Occupants in assembly buildings.

References :
National Building code part-iv
IS- 4878 1986 By Laws for construction of Cinema
Buildings.
www.wikipedia uphaar cinema.org
 
 Summing up
Today we have discussed....
Details about Fire incident at Uphaar
Cinema.
 Cause of Fire
 Fire safety norms violations
Fire prevention and protection measure
in cinema hall.