Memorial to be held on 15th anniversary of Carlton Towers fire on Saturday

To mark 15 years since a fire tragedy struck Carlton Towers on Old Airport Road, leading to the death of nine people, a memorial service will be held on February 22. It is being hosted by Beyond Carlton, a group advocating for fire safety across India.

The memorial event will include panel discussions on the topics, ‘Fire safety in India: A Beyond Carlton perspective’, ‘Leading efforts in fire safety in residential areas’, and ‘Do young Indians care about fire safety?’.

“We organise the memorial event annually with an aim to get more people talking about fire safety. This year, for one of the panels, we’re bringing people from multiple residential areas and societies who are making an active effort to spread awareness about fire safety. We hope this encourages more people to be proactive,” shares Uday Vijayan, managing trustee and president of the organisation. Vijayan lost his 22-year-old son Akhil in the 2010 fire at Carlton Towers.

The panel discussions will be followed by a recognition ceremony for firefighters, and a dance performance on the theme ‘Agni’.

This year, the organisation has also curated a report on the state of fire safety in India. The 50-page document states that electrical short circuits, gas cylinder and LPG leaks, industrial and chemical fires, and residential and slum fires, are among the key causes for fire tragedies. 

A major focus point of the report is the lack of accurate data. For example, while the number of LPG connections in India has risen from 14.52 crore in 2014 to 32.83 crore in 2024, fire deaths reported from LPG-related incidents have decreased by 50%. The report scrutinises the steep reduction in the numbers.

“A lot of the data available to the public is dated. For example, the last report published by the National Crime Records Bureau was in 2022. Due to the lack of accurate data, a lot of factors don’t add up. The data needs to be cross-checked,” he adds.

‘Beyond Carlton Memorial’, February 22, 6 pm to 8 pm, at St Joseph’s Boys’ High School, Shanthala Nagar.

Case Status

After over 10 years without a trial since the horrific fire at the Carlton Towers, the case has finally

entered the sessions court, shares Uday Vijayan, managing trustee and president of Beyond Carlton. The tragedy also left over 70 people injured.