Days after a devastating fire at an illegal bed-and-breakfast in Delhi's Hauz Rani killed 22 people, investigators have revealed a series of events that led to the tragedy.
The police believe that the fire at Flourish Stays B&B in Malviya Nagar's Hauz Rani area began after an oil fryer was left switched on while the cook prepared tea for himself.
According to preliminary findings, the cook, Keshav Negi, switched on the fryer and then prepared tea, forgetting that it was still running. The oil in the fryer reached its auto-ignition temperature and caught fire, spreading rapidly and fueled by highly inflammable materials.
The cook allegedly tried to extinguish the flames but fled when the blaze got out of control, failing to warn guests or inform neighbours or call emergency services.
A 30-minute delay between the time of fire and the first call to the fire department turned the incident tragic for several guests, including foreigners in the South Delhi locality.
The police are preparing to seek technical assistance from IIT-Delhi to examine how the blaze spread so rapidly through the building.
