The design of the building significantly contributed to the scale of the Malviya Nagar fire tragedy, Chief Fire Officer A.K. Malik said on Thursday, pointing to sealed windows and inadequate escape routes as key factors that trapped occupants inside.
“The building was so designed that the occupants found it very difficult to escape. What we observed during the firefighting and search and rescue operation was that the complete building was sealed. All the windows of the building were sealed properly and permanently,” Malik said.
He explained that in such situations, residents have very little time to react. “In such buildings, an occupant has very few seconds or minutes to escape from the building. One main reason is that the fire was on the ground
floor. So they don’t get a chance to escape from the building,” he said.
Malik further noted that the structure did not meet an important safety requirement. “In this case, the building was ground plus five, and under the building by-law, it required two staircases,” he added.
The Delhi Police are investigating the incident under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to the FIR, 21 people lost their lives while 28 others were injured in the blaze.
Speaking about the action taken after the tragedy, Malik said, “Delhi LG took cognisance of the incident, and he was very serious about it. A high-level meeting was called in the evening, and it was decided that a high-powered committee would be constituted, led by the DM of the district having members including the DC of the MCD as well as the DCP of the Delhi Police. This committee will carry out the survey of such buildings.”
Meanwhile, a Delhi court on Thursday remanded Lovkesh Bajaj, owner of Flourish Stays Hotel, to four days of police custody. He has been booked under various provisions of the BNS, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, mischief by fire, endangering life and negligent conduct with fire.
