The hotel's accountant, Jai Mishra, told police that he had provided his personal documents for obtaining the bed-and-breakfast licence at the request of owner Lavkesh Bajaj.

It took eight fire engines to extinguish the blaze, as more than 40 people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals.

A sweeping security audit of 210 hotels in Mahipalpur, a bustling locality near the Indira Gandhi International Airport, has uncovered widespread safety and legal violations, according to a report by ...