Illegal construction, locked terrace, multiple lapses: What made Delhi hotel fire rescue ops difficult

Key points

• NEW DELHI: Illegal construction, a locked terrace, no fire safety certificate, a single entry and exit point, and a lack of basic firefighting systems — Flourish Stay Bed and Breakfast seems to have flouted every rule in the book.An initial probe has revealed that the B&B was licensed to operate as a si room establishment but had morphed into a 25-room hotel.
• Its B&B licence was valid till 2027.A stay there for a day could cost between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000. It was frequented by medical tourists from Africa as it was close to the Max Hospital in Saket.Senior fire officials also found that the premises lacked fire safety measures such as smoke detectors, automated fire alarms, sprinkler systems.
• Also missing was no-objection certificate.Regarding the NOC, the accused told the police that any residential building that was less than 15 metres high does not need a NOC according to...