As authorities investigate the fire at the Flourish B&B property in south Delhi's Hauz Rani that claimed at least 21 lives, a series of alleged violations and eyewitness accounts have begun to reveal why many occupants may have struggled to escape. Firefighters and local residents rescue people from a building and shift them to nearby hospitals after a massive fire broke out at a bed-and-breakfast Restaurant and Hotel in the Malviya Nagar area in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (Hindustan Times)While the exact cause of the fire is yet to be established, police said preliminary investigations suggest it started in the restaurant operating on the ground floor.Follow here for live updates on Delhi fireHere are 5 big revelations:1. Hotel masquerading as B&BThe property was licensed as a bed-and-breakfast with permission for only six rooms.However, authorities found that it allegedly had 26 rooms spread across several floors, including the basement and rooftop.2. Illegal restaurant on the ground floor, no NOCOfficials said the ground floor had permission only for a tea-and-snack shop. However, a full-fledged restaurant was allegedly being run from the premises.According to officials, the structure never had a sanctioned building plan or a fire safety no-objection certificate (NOC).Also Read | Couple awaiting rescue after Delhi fire found dead in embrace in locked washroom3. One exit, basement route reportedly shutteredThe building had only one main staircase that served as the primary exit. A separate exit meant for the basement was reportedly shuttered.4. Thick smoke filled the staircaseThick smoke quickly engulfed the staircase, cutting off the main escape route for guests staying on the upper floors as well as those in the basement.5. Occupants struggled to open doors due to digital locksLocals alleged that some occupants found it difficult to open room doors fitted with digital locks, further hampering escape efforts.As flames and smoke spread through the building, around nine to 10 people reportedly escaped by jumping from windows into a narrow lane on the right side of the structure.Residents gathered below and spread mattresses on the ground to cushion their falls.Also Read | 'We told them to jump’: How locals helped save lives in Delhi fireWhat happened at Delhi stay?The fire at the Flourish Stay bed-and-breakfast in Hauz Rani's Malviya Nagar area broke out around 8.40am on Wednesday and rapidly engulfed the narrow five-storey building, which officials said had only one entry-exit point, sealed windows and a sensor-operated main door - a combination that turned the structure into a virtual death trap.Witnesses and locals later alleged that the property lacked ventilation, suspecting it may have led the smoke to fill up the building. AK Malik, Chief Fire Officer DFS South Zone, also said that the building was sealed from all sides and was “like a shaft”."It is sealed from all four sides, as even in the front, there is a facade, and the windows are sealed. In buildings like these, it often happens that the fire spreads,” the chief fire officer added.As flames and thick smoke spread through the building, catching many occupants unaware and some while they were asleep, rescue workers, aided by local residents, rushed to pull out those trapped inside.At least 58 people were rescued and taken to hospitals, where 21 were declared brought dead, officials said. The victims include nine Indians, eight of whom belonged to an extended family.Officials said the toll in one of Delhi's worst fire tragedies in recent years could rise further, with several injured persons remaining in critical condition.Many of those who died or were injured were foreign nationals from Central Asian and African countries. According to officials, they had been staying at the hotel while attending to relatives admitted to the nearby Max Hospital.Meanwhile, Delhi Police arrested Lavkesh Bajaj, the owner of the hotel. Police had earlier issued a look-out circular against Bajaj and his wife and launched a search operation to trace the couple.