Sealed windows, locked basement among lapses found in Delhi guest house fire probe

New Delhi: Multiple safety lapses have come to light during the investigation into the deadly fire at a guest house in the national capital Malviya Nagar, a day ago in which 21 people died, while preliminary findings suggest that a majority of the victims died due to suffocation and smoke inhalation rather than burn injuries, sources said on Thursday.

According to sources, police conducted a room-by-room search of the guest house following the incident and recovered nearly 50 to 60 mobile phones from the premises. Around 30 passports were also recovered during the search.

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Sources said that even after the fire was brought under control, the rooms inside the guest house remained extremely hot, indicating the intensity of the blaze and the severe impact of heat and smoke within the building.

Investigators have identified five deceased persons so far, while the identification process for the remaining victims is still underway.

Post-mortem examinations are being conducted in all cases. Police sources said that the bodies of the deceased did not bear extensive burn injuries. Preliminary findings indicate that most of the victims died due to suffocation and exposure to smoke.

According to sources, a majority of the foreign nationals staying at the guest house had come to India on medical visas.

Sources further said that the guest house used to accommodate around 80 foreign nationals every month. As per prescribed norms, C-Forms for foreign guests were regularly filled and submitted to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). Once submitted, details of the foreign nationals were also reflected in the Delhi Police system.

During the investigation, officials also found several serious deficiencies in the building's safety infrastructure. Sources said the windows and glass panels of the building were completely sealed, leaving no outlet for smoke to escape.

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Investigators further found that the entrance to the basement was locked. It reportedly took nearly 10 minutes to open the basement access point. The basement door was locked from inside, and six to seven people were later rescued from that area, sources said.

During the rescue operation, teams also encountered an iron mesh barrier measuring approximately two-and-a-half feet in height along the basement access route. It took rescuers nearly 10 minutes to cut through the obstruction and proceed with evacuation efforts.

The investigation has further revealed that the building lacked adequate ventilation arrangements and did not have an emergency exit gate. Sources said these shortcomings allowed smoke to rapidly spread throughout the structure, trapping occupants inside and significantly hampering evacuation efforts.

Further investigation into the incident is underway.