NEW DELHI — 1997 · Major Tragedy
The Uphaar Cinema Fire
On 13 June 1997, during an afternoon screening of the film "Border" at the Uphaar Cinema in New Delhi's Green Park, a fire broke out in a ground-floor transformer. Smoke spread into the auditorium through stairwells and ventilation ducts; 59 people, 23 of them children, died and more than 100 were injured. Investigators found serious safety violations, including blocked exits, extra seating, and non-functioning emergency lighting and public-address systems. Years of litigation followed against the owners and staff; the Supreme Court imposed heavy fines in 2015, and a separate conviction for evidence tampering followed in 2021.
- Date
- 1997
- Place
- Green Park, Delhi, India, New Delhi, IN
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 28.5590, 77.2060 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 13 June 1997A transformer fire broke out during a screening of "Border"; 59 people died.
- 2007The trial court sentenced owners and staff to prison terms.
- August 2015The Supreme Court replaced further jail time with heavy fines.
- November 2021A conviction was handed down in the evidence-tampering case.
- July 2022The elderly defendants were released on grounds of age.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Uphaar Cinema fire en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Deccan Herald — Families observe 27th year of Uphaar tragedy deccanherald.com ↗
- The Quint — Photos of the ravaged Uphaar Cinema thequint.com ↗
- Wikipedia
- Deccan Herald
- The Quint
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.