Banquet Hall In Jaipur Reduced To Ashes, Mayor Orders Probe

A popular upmarket entertainment park and banquet hall was reduced to ashes within 20 minutes in the heart of Jaipur this afternoon. Police officials have told NDTV that a "major tragedy was averted as it was morning hours and only a few people were present." The fire broke out at 2 pm at the Rose Garden Entertainment Paradise and within minutes thick black smoke and flames as high 100 feet into the air could be seen from a distance of five kilometre. The Superintendent of Police, Jaipur East, Kunwar Rashtradeep told NDTV, "the fire spread rapidly as there was lot of plastic and hardboard items lying around". More than a dozen fire engines reached the spot within 20 minutes but by then large parts of the complex were completely charred. After two hours and 20 rounds of spraying, the fire was brought under control.