India, June 5 -- At least four guest houses and lodges in Gurugram's Sector 39, near Medanta Hospital, are operating without mandatory fire No Objecting Certificates (NOCs) and with unauthorised additional floors, raising safety concerns, an HT spot check found.

At one of the lodges, basic fire safety measures, such as fire extinguishers and designated fire exits, were missing. The accommodation also had only a single entry and exit point.

In a six-storey building, a hospital operated on the first floor, while the remaining floors were used for accommodation, with each floor having six rooms. The building had a narrow staircase and a lift, and no designated fire exit. None of the lodges HT visited had water sprinklers.

When asked about...