'Stove exploded, snapped power line before escaping': Cook's statement in Delhi hotel fire case surfaces

NEW DELHI: The head cook who was arrested in the Delhi hotel fire that killed 21 people has made a vital revelation. Keshav Negi told police that the fire broke out soon after he turned on the electric stove in the kitchen. He revealed during interrogation that the stove exploded after it was turned on and the fire spread quickly in the building.

Negi's statement is that he panicked and fled the scene after smoke and fire spread in the hotel. Meantime, the police during investigation found that he disconnected the main electricity supply to the hotel before escaping. It has been found that this caused the main electronic door locking system of the building to malfunction. The police suspect that this may be the reason why those trapped inside the hotel were unable to escape when the fire broke out.

Keshav Negi, a cook at the Flourish Inn Hotel in Malviya Nagar, was arrested the other day in connection with the fire. The police have initially concluded that the tragedy was caused by gross negligence on his part. The police have also taken some other employees of the hotel into custody and are questioning them in connection with the incident.

The tragedy that shook the national capital occurred last Wednesday morning. A 16-year-old girl and several foreigners from Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Iraq, Congo, Mozambique and Liberia died in the fire. Most of the dead were foreigners who had come to the nearby Max Hospital for treatment. Forensic examination has revealed that more people died due to smoke inhalation and suffocation than burns. The police had earlier arrested the hotel owner Lokesh Bajaj in connection with the incident. Serious charges including culpable homicide have been filed against him.