- Flourish Stay hotel increased rooms illegally, ignoring safety norms
- The hotel had only one exit, trapping guests during the fire
- The fire broke out in the hotel restaurant, spreading to the adjacent building
The fate of the 21 people who died in the Delhi hotel fire had been sealed years before the accident, when the owners of the Flourish Stay hotel clandestinely started increasing the number of permitted rooms to maximise profits, blatantly ignoring rules and safety norms.
The sordid tale of callousness began before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, when the then-government launched a homestay scheme.
Homeowners were allowed to turn their houses into homestays. They were allowed to rent out a maximum of 5 rooms and 10 beds. As medical tourism flourished in India, especially in Delhi and other metro cities, all these homestays evolved into full-fledged hotels, which later started flouting rules. Most of these facilities now offer 20-30 rooms and serve scores of guests, including foreign medical tourists.
The Flourish Stay hotel is one of these semi-illegal facilities in packed Malviya Nagar of South Delhi. Faheem, a local, told NDTV that the hotel's owner, Luvkesh Bajaj, owns three such hotels in the area -- all of which completely ignore rules and safety norms.
Also read: 21, Mostly Foreigners, Killed In Massive Fire At Delhi Hotel
Lapses In Flourish Stay Hotel
The hotel had just one entry and exit point. Once the fire blocked the way, hotel guests had no escape route and were forced to either stay put or jump out windows. Some, in fact, just did that, breaking their limbs.
When the rescue team rushed upwards to save those trapped, they found out that four rooms were cramped in the basement.
Foreign guests were occupying these rooms. Rescuers broke open the doors of these rooms - some of the foreign nationals died as they choked on toxic smoke.
The Flourish Stay hotel was operating 25 rooms. At least 40 guests were reportedly staying at the hotel; 21 of them died.
Another glaring lapse was the absence of fire safety.
According to the Fire Department's preliminary investigation, the hotel did not possess a valid Fire NOC (No Objection Certificate). Since the building was over 15 meters high, fire safety clearance was mandatory under the law.
According to sources, additional floors were allegedly constructed without informing authorities.
The owner later applied for a trade licence, but the complete building plan was not submitted to the authorities. The owner was asked to provide the building plans to the Building Department, which was required to share them with the Fire Department. However, the authorities didn't receive the required details or a response from the owner.
What Happened
The fire started in the restaurant of the Flourish Stay hotel and spread to another hotel, Micasa Inn.
Videos showed some people jumping from the burning building to save their lives. Mattresses were spread on the ground to cushion the fall of people.
Also read: Delhi Hotel, Where Fire Killed 21, Had Permission For 6 Rooms. It Operated 25
The Delhi government is closely monitoring the situation, said Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
"All necessary medical assistance & support are being extended to the affected families. In this hour of grief, the Delhi Government stands firmly with the affected families. We remain committed to providing every possible support to those impacted by this tragedy," Gupta said.
