Fire Burns Down Famous Kingdom of Dreams in Gurugram

A big fire broke out at Kingdom of Dreams (KoD) in Gurugram's Sector 29 early Thursday morning. The fire destroyed large parts of this once-popular entertainment center. The famous Culture Gully section, which used to showcase Indian art and food from different states, is now completely burned down.

How the Fire Started and Spread

The fire was first spotted around 6:50 AM when a security guard saw smoke coming from the building. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire had already spread through the Culture Gully area. More than 10 fire trucks from Sector 29, Udyog Vihar, Bhim Nagar, Sector 37, and IMT Manesar were sent to fight the fire.

Firefighters had to break open the locked entrance to get inside. The fire was so strong that it caused the roof of Culture Gully to fall down, along with one side wall. Firefighters had to move back at one point when parts of the building started collapsing. 

"At one point, 15 of our personnel were working nearby, but we had to step back as parts of the structure began collapsing. Fortunately, no one was injured," said Gulshan Kalra from Haryana Fire and Emergency Services.

Second Fire in Two Years

This is not the first time Kingdom of Dreams has caught fire. In July 2023, there was another fire in the basement where paint cans and batteries were stored. Officials say that empty buildings without regular care are more likely to catch fire.

"The risk of fire incidents increases in abandoned buildings that lack maintenance. This is the second major fire at KoD, and an investigation is required to determine whether there was negligence or foul play," Kalra added. 

From Popular Tourist Spot to Abandoned Building 

Kingdom of Dreams opened in 2010 and was once one of the most popular places for entertainment in the National Capital Region (NCR). It had live shows, music performances, and a special area with food from 16 different regions of India.

The entertainment center was built on 5.7 acres of land leased from Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) in 2007. The rent was ₹36 lakh per month, which was supposed to increase by 10% every year. 

However, KoD started having money problems, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. It couldn't pay its rent and other bills. By July 2022, it owed HSVP ₹107 crore, so the government canceled its lease and closed the place down.

Officials are now investigating what caused the fire. They will check if it was an electrical fault, someone setting it on fire on purpose, or just an accident.