Illegal restaurant, grilled windows, single exit: Safety lapses in Delhi hotel fire

Key points

• An illegal restaurant, a locked basement grill, small windows, and the absence of adequate evacuation routes have emerged as key areas of concern in the investigation into the devastating fire that killed 21 people at a hotel in South Delhi's Malviya Nagar.
• Hours after the blaze tore through Flourish Stay B&B, a multi-storey building, in the congested Hauz Rani area, investigators identified multiple suspected lapses, including a hotel operating beyond its permitted capacity, inadequate basement access and exit arrangements, small room windows that restricted evacuation, and commercial establishments allegedly functioning without the necessary approvals.
• Authorities are also examining whether the building's congested location and surrounding overhead electric cables hampered firefighting and rescue operations.
• The restaurant operating on the ground floor of the building did not possess the required licence and was allegedly functioning illegally.
• The building has a basement, ground floor and five upper floors, according to...