New Delhi: The hotel in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar that went up in flames on Wednesday, June 3, killing at least 21 people, was allegedly operating nearly four times beyond its permitted capacity, had no fire safety clearance and functioned from a building where additional floors were constructed without informing authorities, officials said.
11 foreign nationals among dead, 19 remain critical
The deceased include 11 foreign nationals. Among the deceased, nine were African nationals and two from Turkmenistan, while the rest were Indians. At least 19 of the 35 injured remained in critical condition across hospitals in Delhi, according to official data.
Nineteen patients were critical, with 10 foreign nationals on ventilator support and nine others in serious condition but not on ventilators.
No Indian patient was reported to be on ventilator support.
Max Smart Hospital reported the highest number of casualties, recording 10 deaths — six foreign nationals and four Indians.
At the same facility, six people, all foreign nationals, were on ventilator support. One more foreign national was also at the hospital in critical condition, but not on a ventilator.
At Max Super Speciality Hospital, eight people died — three foreign nationals and five Indians. AIIMS Burns Centre reported three deaths, including two foreign nationals and one Indian.
At AIIMS Trauma Centre, 13 people were admitted. Ten injured Delhi Police personnel were undergoing treatment, while three Bangladeshi nationals remained critical, including one woman on ventilator support and two others under observation.
Two patients each were admitted to Pt Madan Mohan Malaviya Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital. One foreign national and one Indian were reported injured at Pt Madan Mohan Malaviya Hospital, while two patients remained critical at Safdarjung Hospital.
The official data also noted that two Nepalese nationals had been discharged from the hospital after treatment.
Permission for 6 rooms, operated 25
The establishment had permission for only six rooms under the Delhi government’s bed-and-breakfast policy but was allegedly operating around 25 rooms, including some in the basement, police sources said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the building had only ground floor plus one storey around six to seven years ago, when fire clearance was not required. Additional floors were allegedly added later without informing authorities. Officials said the complete building plan was never submitted despite directions from authorities.
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Zero safety measures followed
The building was reportedly more than 15 metres high, making a Fire Safety Clearance or No Objection Certificate (NOC) mandatory. However, authorities said they neither received the required documents nor any response from the owner, and no fire clearance was ever issued.
The blaze erupted in a congested locality. The structure housed a restaurant on the ground floor while the basement and upper floors were being used as hotel accommodation.
According to police sources, the fire may have started shortly after a chef arrived at the ground-floor restaurant and switched on electrical equipment before beginning work. A blast-like sound was reportedly heard moments later, following which flames rapidly spread.
Building’s design made escape difficult
The building, comprising a basement, ground floor and five upper storeys, had only one entry-exit point, officials said.
“As far as a fire NOC is concerned, we had not received any reference from either the building authorities or the licensing agency,” Deputy Chief Fire Officer A K Malik told PTI.
Officials said the owner had applied for a trade licence, but the complete building plan was not submitted. The owner had been asked to provide the plans to the Building Department, which was required to share them with the Fire Department, but the process was never completed.
The design of the building made evacuation extremely difficult, Malik said.
“Buildings of this nature act like a shaft, where heat and smoke generated by a fire can engulf the entire structure within seconds, making evacuation even more challenging,” he said.
Police register culpable homicide case, no arrests so far
Police have registered an FIR under charges of culpable homicide and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in connection with the incident.
A police source said teams had conducted raids at multiple locations, including the residences of the building owner and the licence holder registered with the tourism department.
“Multiple teams are searching for the accused. Alerts have also been issued to railway and airport authorities to prevent them from fleeing,” the source said.
According to investigators, the building owner has been identified as Lavkesh Bajaj and the tourism department licence was issued in the name of Jai Mishra.
The hotel was being run by three partners who are believed to own several other hotels and guesthouses across Delhi, police sources said.
Bajaj, said to be in his 50s, is a resident of south Delhi’s Saket area, though police have not revealed his exact address. Investigators said Bajaj and his wife are absconding and are suspected to have fled in a Mercedes car. Their residence was found locked when police teams visited it.
Multiple teams have been deployed to trace the couple, with investigators scrutinising CCTV footage from various locations to track their movements.
Police sources said Bajaj is also linked to a firm believed to be engaged in construction-related activities, and investigators are examining his business interests as part of the probe.
No arrests have been made so far. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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