Malviya Nagar hotel had no fire clearance

The hotel that caught fire in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people, had never received a fire safety clearance, and was operating approximately 25 rooms against a permitted six.

The additional floors had been added without informing authorities, and it stood more than 15 metres high, making a fire NOC mandatory. Apart from that, it had only one entry and exit point: a combination of violations that investigators say turned the building into a death trap before the first flame appeared.

Officials said the deceased included 11 foreign nationals. At least 19 of the 35 injured remain in critical condition in Delhi hospitals. Police have registered an FIR under culpable homicide charges and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The building owner, identified as Lavkesh Bajaj, and his wife have absconded, and police suspect they fled in a Mercedes car. Authorities have issued alerts to railway stations and airports to prevent them from fleeing. Police teams found the Saket residence locked.

Investigators have identified three partners who ran the hotel and reportedly own several other hotels and guesthouses across Delhi. The tourism department licence was in the name of Jai Mishra.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer A K Malik confirmed that the fire department had never received a fire NOC application for the building. “As far as a fire NOC is concerned, we had not received any reference from either the building authorities or the licensing agency,” he said.