Delhi hotel tragedy: Building permitted to operate only six rooms functioned with 25 rooms, serious security lapse

NEW DELHI: More information has emerged in the fire that broke out in the hotel in Delhi killing 21 and injuring many. The report says that serious security lapses and violations were behind the incident.

The building, which was allowed to operate only six rooms under the Delhi government's 'Bed and Breakfast' (B&B) scheme, had twenty-five rooms including in the basement. The building, where many people were staying in twenty-five rooms, had only one entrance. The death toll rose because there was no other means of escape when the fire broke out. Many died of suffocation. There were about forty guests in the hotel at the time of the accident. Most of them were asleep when the fire broke out. As people started jumping from the top to save their lives, locals brought beds and mattresses from their homes and spread them on the floor. Many foreigners, both tourists and those who had come for treatment at a prominent private hospital nearby, were staying in the hotel. Authorities have confirmed that most of the victims were foreigners. A major fire broke out at around 8.50 am on Wednesday in the building housing the 'Lemon Green' restaurant and hotel in Delhi's Malviya Nagar. Initial investigation concluded that a short circuit was the cause of the accident.