A senior police officer said the students’ concerns were addressed, particularly that evidence was not tampered with and that all students were safely evacuated from the building.

Mukherjee Nagar is a renowned educational hub four kilometres from Delhi University’s North Campus. It is widely known for its coaching centres -- civic officials estimate that there are 400 big and small coaching centres spread across 400 acres in this region -- and private commercial libraries, attracting thousands of students preparing for civil services, bank entrance, and other competitive exams. Many students, including those enrolled in Delhi University colleges, also reside here as paying guests.

However, many buildings in Mukherjee Nagar do not adhere to fire safety norms. Many coaching centres, offices, labs, and libraries operate from old multi-storey buildings, with neighbouring buildings nearly touching each other.

According to Atul Garg, director of Delhi Fire Services, none of the coaching centres in Delhi has a fire NOC (no objection certificate) because they are unregulated and, therefore, not legally required to possess one.

As HT discovered during a spot check on Thursday, the area is riddled with loose overhead hanging wires, tilted electric poles, congested lanes, and dilapidated old buildings.

The area has previously been under the scanner for building code and fire safety violations. The former north MCD (municipal corporation of Delhi) closed down 65 coaching centres in November 2017. In June 2019, MCD sealed shut multiple coaching centre units for failing to follow adequate safety measures following surveys after the Surat Coaching Centre fire tragedy, which claimed 20 lives.

A manager from a reputed coaching institute, who did not wish to be identified, said, “The stairs are a problem. There are many coaching centres in the building, and when students from multiple classes try to go down the stairs at once, there is not much space.”

The entrance to this institute, operating on the third floor of a five-storey building, is old and shabby, which leads to an even dingier and narrower flight of stairs. The manager said, “We have a fire extinguisher and government officers come around to check fire safety norms occasionally, but in case of a fire, these stairs would be a problem.”

Despite high tuition fees and inadequate facilities, students continue to enrol in droves, hoping to clear various competitive exams. Fees range from over ₹2,00,000 for a 12-month IAS exam preparation course to more than ₹2,50,000 for integrated undergraduate coaching classes at some of the more prestigious institutions.

Managers of other coaching centres expressed similar views, saying they are compelled to work in these small spaces because this is the Capital’s coaching hub. “Our business would suffer if we took our centre elsewhere. There are more than 500 operational coaching centres here,” said the manager of a coaching centre for Staff Selection Commission (SSC) aspirants.

According to an MCD official from the building department, the fire safety in these units is judged on three key counts: the width of the staircase, the availability of separate entry and exit gates, and the presence of fire safety equipment. “While these units are expected to have at least five feet of staircase width, most of the places only have 2.5 to 3 feet wide staircases,” the official said.

In addition to coaching centres, many businesses, such as Wintex Apparel Limited, operate from the same buildings in Mukherjee Nagar. Despite adhering to fire safety norms, these establishments acknowledge their inability to address overcrowding issues, particularly on staircases.

On Friday, students exiting one of the coaching centres voiced concerns about fire safety regulations. “The mere presence of fire extinguishers in hallways is insufficient, especially in an emergency. If multiple centres’ students attempt to use the same staircases simultaneously, it will create a dangerous situation,” said a student who asked not to be named.

According to experts, the increasing commercialisation and lack of maintenance of these buildings pose a significant threat to public safety, despite the area’s popularity.

With inputs from Shiv Sunny