Zirakpur, Nov. 5 -- A day after police registered an FIR against the owners of two marriage palaces, Aura Garden and Sekhon Palace, on the Zirakpur-Panchkula road for violating fire safety norms, it has emerged that although both venues had fire safety systems installed, they were defunct and poorly maintained, and the staff had no idea how to operate them. The fire, which broke out on November 2 during wedding ceremonies at the adjoining banquet halls, had triggered panic among the guests. Fortunately, all attendees were safely evacuated. Following the incident, Mohali deputy commissioner (DC) Komal Mittal has directed all executive officers (EOs) of the Zirakpur, Dera Bassi, and Kharar municipal councils to conduct an immediate audit of all marriage palaces and submit a detailed report. The district has around 60 such venues, including 20 in Zirakpur, 12 in Dera Bassi, two in Lalru, 20 in Kharar, and six in Mohali city. DC Mittal said,"Directions have been issued to all civic bodies to conduct audits and submit reports immediately as we want to ensure safety during the ongoing wedding season. We cannot risk lives due to negligence," she said. Zirakpur fire officer Jaswant Singh, who is probing the incident, said that while both venues had fire systems in place but they were not maintained and were defunct. Even the staff was untrained to use them. "We are inspecting other marriage palaces in Zirakpur and Dera Bassi. It appears that most have installed systems, but none are properly maintained. After the audit, strict action will follow," he said. On Monday, police registered an FIR under Sections 125 (act endangering life or personal safety) and 324(5) (mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the owners of both establishments. Assistant divisional fire officer (AFDO) Amarinderpal Singh added that preliminary investigations suggest the fire was caused by crackers burst during the celebrations. "The shiny decorative materials used in such functions are highly flammable, and temporary sheds often fail to meet fire safety standards. We are investigating the specific lapses in this case," he said....