Delhi hotel fire: Police arrest B&B’s cook over negligence in Malviya Nagar tragedy

Delhi police arrested the cook of the bed-and-breakfast establishment that was charred in the deadly fire that claimed the lives of at least 21 people, including several foreign nationals, officials said on Saturday (Jun 6). This comes as the investigation continued into the devastating incident at Flourish Stays Hotel in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar.

According to the police, the probe has revealed that the cook’s negligence led to the blaze that engulfed the entire building on Wednesday (Jun 3). Police have also detained several other individuals as part of the ongoing investigations.

Authorities have discovered several safety violations and lapses in the building’s fire safety infrastructure. ANI reported, citing sources, that officials found that the windows and glass panels of the building had been completely sealed, preventing any outlet for the smoke and worsening the conditions. Officials also noted that the building’s basement was locked from the inside, and it took nearly 10 minutes for emergency responders to access it. Six to seven people were rescued from there.

According to earlier reports, investigators have ruled out an LPG cylinder blast as the cause of the massive fire that engulfed the building. The hotel had two kitchens, one in the basement and another on the top floor. Both kitchens had multiple LPG cylinders stored. However, the initial report found no indication that any cylinder explosion occurred in the building.

A total of 15 patients are currently undergoing treatment at Max Hospital in Saket, the hospital said in a statement. “All ventilated patients are stable and showing signs of improvement,” it said, adding that nine other patients are receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and hospital wards.

Earlier, the police arrested hotel owner Lovekesh Bajaj, Sweety Sarkar and Pushpo Sarkar in connection with the case. A chargesheet has been filed before the court against the accused. Bajaj has been remanded to four days of police custody.