A short circuit is suspected to be the cause of the fire that broke out in Arpit Palace hotel situated in Delhi's Karol Bagh in the early hours of Tuesday, a senior civic official said.
The fire, which killed at least 17 people including a child, initially broke out in the second floor of the building, a North Delhi Municipal Corporation official said.
The hotel was first granted a licence in October 2005 and it was renewed every year. The last renewal was done on May 25, 2018, and was valid till March 31.
"As per information gathered from the site, it was revealed that the incidence of fire occurred on the second floor at around 3.30 AM on February 12 due to short-circuit," the official said.
A video of the incident showed two people jumping from the fourth floor of the burning building. According to eyewitnesses, most deaths were caused due to suffocation.
A fire department official said some of the fire extinguishers in the building were found to have been used suggesting that people trapped inside tried to douse the fire in a bid to escape.
(With inputs from Agencies)
