Kerala High Court Orders Fire Safety Audit At Hotels & Other Establishments In Sabarimala

The Division Bench comprising Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice G. Girish directed thus:

“The 3rd respondent-Special Officer, who is in the rank of District Fire Officer, Pathanamthitta, shall conduct a fire audit in the hotels and other establishments at Sannidhanam, Pamba and Nilakkal, at the earliest, through the concerned officers. The report on fire audit shall be submitted to the Special Commissioner, Sabarimala.”

The Court was apprised that the fire was extinguished with the timely intervention of Fire and Rescue Services and disaster was averted. The Court took note of the fact that the fire incident took place very close to a barricade where the devotees were standing in the queue.

The Travancore Devaswom Board submitted that there is a prohibition in Sabarimala on storage of more than five gas cylinders. It was informed that at the hotel where the fire incident occurred, more than 6 gas cylinders were present.

In this backdrop, the Court has directed the Special Officer to issue an advisory in Sabarimala as part of the safety protocol for avoiding any such disasters in the future. It directed that the advisory shall be strictly complied with by all Kuthaka holders in Sabarimala.

The Court has directed the Special Officer to submit the report of the fire audit before the Sabarimala Special Commissioner. 

Appearance: Senior Government Pleader S Rajmohan, Amicus Curiae N Raghuraj, Standing Counsel G Biju

Case title: Suo Moto v State of Kerala

Case number: SSCR NO.7 OF 2024

Click Here To Read/Download The Order

Click this link to access the previous reports by LiveLaw on various guidelines issued by the Court in Sabarimala matters.