The cops have found that the fire that broke out at a hotel in Malviya Nagar earlier this week that led to death of 21 people, mostly foreigners, was likely caused due to the negligence of the cook, Delhi Police sources said on Sunday.
The cook at the Flourish Stays Bed and Breakfast (BnB), who was identified as 65-year-old Keshav Negi, was arrested on Saturday following six hours of questioning and has been sent to two-day police custody.
During the questioning, he told cops that the stove exploded suddenly after which the fire spread throughout the building. Seeing the smoke and the blaze, Negi told investigators he had panicked and fled from the scene.
Owner's questioning continues
Meanwhile, the police have continued questioning hotel's owner Lavkesh Bajaj. Cops are trying to verify his statements and are questioning him regarding the hotel's licensing, ownership structure, finances, safety compliance and operational practices.
Hotel's manager, Jay Mishra, remains absconding, though, and police conducting searches and raids in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to catch him. Police have been told by Bajaj that he was handling the hotel's operations, and the cops are trying to figure out the extent of his involvement.
Talking about Bajaj, the police have booked him under the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Victims died due to suffocation
Most of the victims died due to suffocation rather than burn injuries, forensic experts have found. Besides, they have recovered several fire extinguishers inside the hotel, but were not used to douse Wednesday's blaze.
Forensic teams have gathered samples of charred electrical cables, electronic equipment, and other materials from the site for analysis. Investigators are probing multiple angles, including a possible short circuit, electrical overload, and other technical failures that could have triggered or intensified the fire.
Police said statements from those detained as well as hotel staff will be crucial in piecing together the chain of events that led to the tragedy and in determining responsibility for one of Delhi's deadliest fire disasters in recent years.
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