New Delhi: The Jharkhand cricket team, including their skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, on Friday escaped unhurt after a fire broke out at the hotel they were staying in Dwarka.
Delhi: Fire had broken out in store in Dwarka's Welcome hotel complex. MS Dhoni and Jharkhand team who were staying there evacuated safely pic.twitter.com/AMnRcIEZmt— ANI (@ANI_news) March 17, 2017
The match, Vijay Hazare Trophy semi final against Bengal, that was supposed to be held at the Airforce ground in Palam has been rescheduled after match referee Sanjay Verma announced the postponement.
Dhoni along with his teammates were having breakfast at the hotel, when they were evacuated immediately after the fire broke out.
Around 540 guests were staying at the hotel, according to police sources. “Yes, it was scary as a fire broke out early in the morning. We were evacuated and brought to the ground,” Jharkhand coach Rajeev Kumar said. The match referee’s decision to postpone the game was taken as the kits of the team were at the hotel and there was no way that the match could have started. “When we were having breakfast at the restaurant, suffocating smell of the smoke alarmed us. We ran for our lives,” a Jharkhand player said.
“A call was received around 6.30am about a fire at Welcome Hotel. Thirty firefigters were rushed to the spot and the blaze was doused by 9.45am. Cooling operations are on,” said a senior official from Delhi Fire Services.
Police said that the fire broke out in a showroom. Further investigation is under way to ascertain the cause of the fire.
