Delhi Police may approach IIT-Delhi to conduct a study of the fire at Flourish Stays B&B that killed 22 people, to determine structural shortcomings of the building and ascertain how the blaze spread through the premises in such a short time, The Indian Express has learnt.
According to official sources, a letter will be soon sent to IIT-Delhi requesting a detailed study of the fire that occurred at the six-storey building in Malviya Nagar, South Delhi, on June 3. In the incident, 22 people lost their lives, including 13 foreign nationals. The victims were trapped inside rooms in the building and most died due to suffocation.
“The study is required to understand the structure of the building, which was constructed without an approved map or permission. It will also ascertain the exact reason for the rapid spread of the fire throughout the building following a small blaze in an air fryer in the kitchen on the ground floor,” a source said.
According to police, chef Keshav Negi, who has been arrested in the case, was in the kitchen when he noticed sparks in an air fryer, which led to a heat blast in the machine. “However, instead of alerting others, he fled the hotel without informing anyone,” an officer associated with the investigation said.
The source added that the exercise could involve a form of 3D mapping, which would help investigators determine the building’s structure despite extensive fire damage and identify the factors that contributed to the spread of the blaze. The findings will aid the investigation and may also be included in the chargesheet filed before the court.
According to another source, the study could also provide information about objects and obstacles present in various rooms during the fire. The study will help map burn patterns, collapsed structures, stairways, windows, electrical wiring, gas cylinders, and AC or gas pipelines, making it easier to reconstruct the progression of the fire.
Police investigations have found that the building had only one entry and exit point, which was a major factor in trapping people on the upper floors. The sole exit route was engulfed in thick smoke and intense heat, preventing occupants from escaping.
The fire was largely confined to the first three floors, having started on the ground floor. The staircase, floors and ceilings contained substantial amounts of wood and plastic decorative materials, which are believed to have intensified the blaze and accelerated its spread.
Several people were forced to jump from windows on the second and third floors to save themselves from the fire.
Delhi Police visit the Flourish Stays B&B hotel, where a fire broke out in Malviya Nagar (on June 3), claiming 21 lives, as part of the ongoing investigation. (ANI video grab) 
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