Malviya Nagar fire incident: Flourish Stay co-owner Lovkesh Bajaj arrested after Delhi hotel blaze kills 21

A major fire ripped through a bed-and-breakfast facility in the densely populated Malviya Nagar area of South Delhi early on Wednesday, leaving at least 21 people dead, including 17 foreign nationals, and injuring several others. The tragedy took place at 8:48 AM.

As investigators intensified their probe into the tragedy, a team of Delhi Police officers visited the residence of Lovkesh Bajaj, co-owner of Hotel Flourish Stay, after preliminary findings pointed to serious breaches of building regulations and fire safety norms at the property.

Bajaj was arrested hours after the tragic incident, according to PTI citing officials.

The Delhi Police issued a look-out circular (LoC) against Bajaj and the other accused. This was reportedly done to ensure that they did not flee abroad.

The visit formed part of a broader investigation into the deadly blaze, with authorities examining possible violations related to fire safety compliance, structural approvals, and emergency evacuation arrangements at the hotel. The Delhi Police constituted several teams to locate the hotel owner and carried out raids at multiple locations across the national capital as part of the ongoing investigation.

25 rooms built instead of 6 allowed, fire reportedly started on ground floor and more

Officials said the hotel where the fire occurred had approval to operate only six rooms under the bed-and-breakfast (B&B) scheme. However, investigators found that the owner had allegedly expanded the facility to 25 rooms. Authorities also identified similar violations at Green Residency Hotel, situated about 100 metres from the site of the blaze, which was authorised to run six rooms but was allegedly operating 28.

Preliminary findings from the Delhi Fire Services indicate that the fire may have started near the staircase on the ground floor. Investigators suspect that combustible material stored in the area could have been the source of the blaze, which subsequently spread rapidly throughout the building.

Officials said the exact cause of the fire, as well as the nature of the material believed to have triggered it, will only be determined after a comprehensive forensic examination.

ANI sources also alleged that all the windows in the building had been sealed, severely restricting escape routes for occupants as the fire rapidly intensified.

Firefighters discovered LPG cylinders inside the premises during the rescue operation. However, according to preliminary assessments, the blaze is believed to have originated from material stored near the staircase before spreading quickly through the building, sources mentioned.

A detailed investigation, including forensic examinations, is currently being carried out to determine the precise circumstances that led to the tragedy.

Meanwhile, former Delhi Fire Services Director Atul Garg described the incident as "very unfortunate" and highlighted the structural and civic issues prevalent in the area.

"More than 22 people have died, and this is a very unfortunate incident. This is a very congested area where fire tenders cannot move easily. There is no water source available, and encroachments have made firefighting difficult. Many houses have only one staircase. A lot of smoke was there, and people did not get time to come out. That's the reason why so many people died. Since they had no NOC and other things, I think there were no safety measures available there," Garg stated.

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Malviya Nagar Satish Upadhyay said strict action would be taken against those found responsible for violating safety norms, stating, "An inquiry will be conducted, and anyone who has broken norms and is responsible will be immediately arrested. Other B&Bs, hotels and guest houses that are not following protocols will be sealed."

Amid the ongoing investigation, distraught relatives of the victims voiced anger and frustration over delays in obtaining information about their loved ones.

"Max Hospital said that 2-4 bodies are here, but no one tells us anything much more than that. We do not know the whereabouts of our loved ones. No one is trying to do anything here. We are very frustrated," a victim's family member said.