Gurugram, June 5 -- At least four guest houses and lodges in Gurugram's Sector 39 are operating without mandatory no objection certificates (NOCs) from the fire department and with unauthorised additional floors, raising safety concerns, an HT spot check found. At one of the lodges, fire extinguishers and designated fire exits were missing. The accommodation also had only a single entry/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 fire sprinklers. When asked about the absence of fire extinguishers, a lodge staff said, "The extinguishers and other equipment are not in place at the moment, but we will install them soon." "People come to us as we offer affordable accommodation. At this price, not every facility can be provided," the staffer added. The fire on Wednesdayat Flourish Stays, a bed-and-breakfast facility in Delhi's Malviya Nagar that was allegedly operating illegally and in violation of fire safety norms, which killed at least 21 people, has raised concerns about the proliferation of unauthorised guest houses and lodges in residential areas. HT also spotted PGs and guest houses operating in buildings in narrow lanes, with hardly any space for a fire tender. Rajesh Kumar, a guest at one of the lodges, told HT that people prefer staying in these places owing to their proximity to the hospital and affordability. "It is just two to three minutes away from the hospital. Rooms cost around Rs.1,000 per day. This becomes a viable option for those who need to stay for a month or longer," he said. Ravinder Yadav, a resident of Sector 39, said some of the buildings are seven storeys high. "We are not certain whether these owners have permission to construct seven floors," he added. Narendra Yadav, fire safety officer, Sector 29, Gurugram, said, "Teams have been constituted for inspections and surveys of guest houses. Violations will incur strict action." Deputy commissioner (DC) Uttam Singh has issued directions to the fire department to inspect safety standards in all commercial establishments. Residents' welfare association (RWA) of Sushant Lok-1 wrote to the administration on Thursday for a fire audit of guest houses, and commercial complexes. "Many buildings appear to have inadequate firefighting arrangements, blocked access routes, insufficient emergency exits and unauthorised structural modifications.," said Deepak Verma, the RWA president....