An early morning fire in a bed-and-breakfast in south Delhi killed at least 21 people, including 11 foreign nationals, highlighting the lax regulatory and monitoring regime in the Capital.
The crowded area made it difficult for fire tenders to reach the spot, and the B&B did not have a fire exit, operating 26 rooms instead of the allowed six.
The owner of the B&B, Lavkesh Bajaj, has been arrested, and police registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Many residents of the five-storey B&B jumped to save themselves, and at least 26 people, including some first responders, were injured.
The death toll may rise, and officials have revealed the names of 14 of the 16 identified victims.
The fire is believed to have started in the restaurant on the ground floor at around 8.30am, and the police control room received a call at 8.48am.
The recurrence of such accidents has renewed concerns about enforcement of fire safety norms and the effectiveness of inspections carried out by civic authorities and other agencies.
