A Nigerian national injured in the fire that broke out at Flourish Stays bed and breakfast (B&B) facility in Malviya Nagar’s Hauz Rani in South Delhi, India, succumbed to injuries during treatment at a hospital on Saturday, taking the d3ath toll in the blaze to 22, police said on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Delhi police have intensified their search for the hotel’s accountant and manager following the arrest of the hotel’s cook and owner.
According to police, with the d3ath of a Nigerian national, the number of foreign nationals k!lled in the incident has risen to 13.
“The Nigerian national, a middle-aged man, had been staying at the hotel for the past few days. After the incident, he was taken to a nearby hospital and later referred to Safdarjung Hospital, where he died during treatment on Saturday. He suffered burn injuries,” an officer said, adding that the Nigerian Embassy had been informed.
An officer said that efforts are still underway to trace the hotel’s accountant, Jay Mishra, and manager, Rakesh, who was present in the building when the fire broke out.
According to sources in the police, three hotel employees were present at the time of the blaze — chef Keshav Negi, manager Rakesh, and a helper who was sleeping on an upper floor.
“Manager Rakesh was sitting at the reception when the fire broke out in the kitchen on the ground floor. Chef Keshav 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 officer added that Negi could have assisted in the rescue efforts or alerted the fire brigade, as he was present at the facility during the blaze.
“His arrest was made based on his alleged culpability and evidence collected during the investigation,” the officer said.
On Sunday, Negi was taken to the hotel to help investigators reconstruct the sequence of events.
Police questioned him about the origin of the fire and his actions immediately afterward, officers said.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Djami, spoke to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta regarding Negi’s arrest after his family claimed he was innocent and had been falsely implicated in the case.
“Today, I spoke with the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi, Mrs. Rekha Gupta, regarding the arrest of Mr. Keshav Negi of Uttarakhand in connection with the Malviya Nagar fire incident in Delhi,” Dhami wrote on X
Rekha Gupta assured that no injustice would be done to any innocent person and that the investigation would be conducted strictly on the basis of facts and evidence. “We have full confidence that the Delhi Government and the concerned agencies will bring the truth to light through a fair and impartial investigation,” he said.
Dhami further stated: “I also spoke with Mr. Keshav Negi’s daughter, Kanishka Negi, and assured her of all possible assistance. Our government stands shoulder to shoulder with all migrant Uttarakhandi brothers and sisters living across the country.”
Negi lives in East Delhi’s Dilshad Garden with his wife and two children. Police said he had been working at the hotel for the past two years.
