Delay and negligence in oil fryer, PCR call: Many negligence came to light in Delhi Malviya Nagar hotel fire.
Many serious negligence have come to light in the investigation of the hotel fire incident in Malviya Nagar area of Delhi. According to preliminary investigation, the accident occurred when safety standards were ignored in the kitchen, due to which the fire spread rapidly. A fryer filled with oil was left burning in the kitchen and even as the fire spread, the cook present there left the place without informing anyone. These carelessness are being considered as the main reason for this horrific fire. So far, 22 people have been confirmed dead in this accident, while many others have been injured. The injured are being treated in different hospitals.
30 minutes delay in reporting the incident became a major reason
According to preliminary investigation, there was a delay of about 30 minutes in informing the authorities after the fire, due to which the fire could not be controlled in time and it quickly spread throughout the building. A small carelessness in the kitchen turned this accident into a big tragedy. According to the police, the incident took place on June 3 at ‘Flourish Stay B&B’ in Hauz Rani, when the cook accidentally left the fryer on while making tea. The fire suddenly broke out due to excessive increase in the temperature of the oil present in the fryer. After this the fire spread rapidly and engulfed the entire building. Investigation has also revealed that cartons and other highly flammable materials kept in the hotel premises further fueled the fire, causing the situation to go out of control.
There will be ‘3D mapping’ of the damaged hotel building
Police are preparing to take technical assistance from IIT Delhi in this matter to understand the reasons for the rapid spread of fire. The institute may be requested to conduct a detailed scientific study of the structural and fire spread patterns of the building. Under this, 3D mapping of the damaged hotel building will also be done, so that every phase of the incident can be understood again. The investigation team believes that this technical analysis will help in finding out how the fire spread so quickly throughout the building and due to which structural reasons people were not able to come out in time. This study will help in the reconstruction of the incident site, which will clarify which routes the smoke and flames spread after the fire and at which places evacuation was hampered.
fire caused by cook’s negligence
According to investigators, three staff members were present in the building when the fire broke out. These included cook Keshav Negi, a helper sleeping on the top floor and manager Rupesh alias Rakesh. Preliminary investigation has also revealed that after the fire, the situation deteriorated rapidly and it became difficult for the staff members to get out in time. During interrogation, cook Keshav Negi told the police that the fire occurred due to his negligence. Negi admitted that he had started the fryer filled with oil and then started making tea for himself. During this he forgot that the fryer was still in working order. Due to excessive heating, the temperature of the oil present in the fryer increased and suddenly flames started rising in it. The fire spread so fast that within no time it engulfed the roof and the flammable items kept nearby. When the fire started increasing rapidly and the situation went out of control, he left the spot. During this time, he did not make any efforts to alert the guests present in the hotel, inform the people nearby or call emergency services, which is considered to be serious negligence. According to the investigating agencies, if warning and emergency information had been given in time, the lives of many people could have been saved.
There was a lag of about half an hour between the initial indication of fire and the first call made to the police. Investigating agencies are closely investigating the reason and impact of this delay, as relief and rescue operations could have been more effective had timely information been received. A helper sleeping on the roof of the hotel somehow managed to save his life by jumping from the roof, while the manager reportedly escaped from the ground floor reception area. The search for the concerned manager is ongoing. In this entire matter, it is also feared that the situation became more serious due to the staff not giving immediate information. Officials associated with the investigation believe that the loss increased due to delay in information and failure in initial response. At the same time, the number of people who lost their lives in the accident has increased to 22 after the death of one more victim. The deceased was a Nigerian national, who was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital in a critical condition.
There was no electronic gate system in the hotel
Police have confirmed that Lavkesh Bajaj had reached the spot after the fire. There was no electronic gate system present in the hotel, despite such claims having surfaced earlier. Investigation has also revealed that Lavkesh Bajaj owns 3 hotels in Hauz Rani area, one of which he operates with a business partner. The investigation into the fire incident is facing a big challenge as the CCTV cameras installed inside and outside the building and their recordings have been completely destroyed. This has made it difficult to reconstruct an exact timeline of events and the activities that took place inside.
Jai Mishra used to look after the functioning of the hotel
Investigation has revealed that a case was registered against Jai Mishra in the year 2024 under section 223 of BNS regarding lack of security arrangements in the hotel. Many important documents related to the hotel were registered in his name, due to which questions are being raised on his operation and legal responsibility. Jai Mishra has known Lavkesh Bajaj for almost a decade and has reportedly been handling his financial and accounting functions as well as playing the role of ‘frontman’ in several of Bajaj’s business ventures. During interrogation, Lavkesh Bajaj told the investigators that he had handed over the daily operation of the hotel to Jai Mishra.
Preliminary investigations indicate that serious deficiencies in the structure and safety standards of the building may have been responsible for the massive loss of life in the incident. It is alleged that the building was constructed without necessary approvals and following building safety rules. Investigators also suspect that the widespread use of flammable decorative materials such as wood and plastic in staircases, ceilings and floors was a major reason for the rapid spread of the fire. Due to this, the fire and smoke spread very fast, due to which people did not get enough time to escape safely. Police are also investigating whether the building’s only entry-exit gate had turned into a “trap zone” due to the dense smoke and extreme heat, making it almost impossible for people on the upper floors to get out.
Study will be conducted from IIT Delhi
The study proposed by IIT Delhi is likely to thoroughly investigate the scientific and technical aspects of this fire accident. The purpose of this study is to understand how the fire spread within the building and what structural and technical factors made the disaster worse. The expert team will conduct a detailed analysis of the burning patterns, damaged stairs, electrical wires, LPG cylinders, gas pipelines and collapsed structural parts. On the basis of this, it will be assessed which factors played a role from the beginning of the fire till its spread. The investigation will also look into whether deficiencies in the building’s architectural design, ventilation system and emergency exit arrangements made the fire and smoke more deadly.
Meanwhile, amid investigation into the case, Jai Mishra, a close aide of hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj and accountant, surrendered in a Delhi court on Monday. The court has sent him to police custody for two days. According to investigators, Jai Mishra allegedly played a key role in the daily operations of the hotel. The police are now interrogating him thoroughly on aspects related to the management of the hotel, financial transactions, licensing process and compliance with security standards.
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