Unattended oil fryer, cook on break: Police reveals series of events that led to Malviya Nagar fire that killed 22

The cook told the police he switched on a fryer containing oil and then prepared tea for himself. While drinking tea, he forgot that the fryer was still running

Days after a fire at an illegal bed-and-breakfast (B&B) at Delhi's Hauz Rani killed 22 people, details have started to emerge on lapses and events that led to the blaze.

MCD officials carry out a sealing drive against illegal hotels and guest houses allegedly violating safety norms in Malviya Nagar. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The investigation is now circulating around the possibility of a series of events — a tea break, an unattended oil fryer and a cook who walked away without alerting anyone of the fire — that triggered one of the worst fire incidents in the national capital on June 3.

The police now believe that the fire at Flourish Stays B&B in Malviya Nagar's Hauz Rani area began after an oil fryer was inadvertently left switched on while the cook prepared tea for himself, PTI news agency reported.

Three staff members of the B&B were present in the building when the fire started on June 4 — cook Keshav Negi, a helper sleeping on the top floor, and manager Rupesh alias Rakesh.

Police initially believed that the fire might have resulted from a short-circuit or a gas cylinder blast. The police have now revealed that the fire resulted from an unattended oil fryer which was left burning while the cook had gone on a tea break.

The oil in the fryer reached its auto-ignition temperature and caught fire, selling the ceiling ablaze. It began spreading rapidly and was fueled by highly inflammable materials such as cartons stored within the premises.

During the interrogation, the cook, Keshav Negi, allegedly told police that he switched on a fryer containing oil and then prepared tea for himself, according to PTI.

While drinking tea, he forgot that the fryer was still running. After it overheated, it burst into flames that spread to the ceiling and engulfed nearby combustible material.

The cook returned to find that the oil had caught fire. Police said he tried to extinguish the flames, but fled when the blaze got out of control.

The police alleged that the cook failed to warn guests, inform neighbours or call emergency services despite having sufficient time to do so.

30-minute delay that turned fire to tragedy

The police also found out that a delay of nearly 30 minute 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 investigators said that the 30-minute delay allowed the fire to intensify unchecked, turning what began as a routine kitchen oversight into a devastating tragedy, which could have been prevented with timely action.

"The gap between the first signs of fire and the first call to police was around half an hour. This period is being closely examined because timely evacuation and alerting authorities could have reduced the scale of the tragedy," a source told PTI.

Police are also preparing to seek technical assistance from IIT-Delhi to examine how the blaze spread so rapidly through the building.

The helper sleeping on the top floor escaped by jumping from the terrace, while the manager, Rupesh, fled from the reception area on the ground floor.

Preliminary findings have suggested that the building itself might have contributed to the scale of the disaster. The building was allegedly constructed without requisite approvals, and investigators suspect that the use of wood and plastic decorative materials in staircases, ceilings and flooring accelerated the spread of flames.

The police are also trying to find whether the building's single entry-exit route became a death trap after it filled with dense smoke and heat, preventing guests from escaping.