"Three team members of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Crime Branch on Friday visited the hotel to collect all possible evidence and found six LPG cylinders kept under the marble slab of the open temporary kitchen on the fourth floor. These cylinders could have caused a chain of blasts, demolishing the entire building structure and neighboring buildings as well," the officer, who is part of the investigations, told media on condition of anonymity.
"But due to low temperatures in the Capital, the chain of blasts was avoided," he said.
Meanwhile, raids are being conducted to nab the hotel owner, Shardendu Goel, who has been absconding after the fire broke out.
"His younger brother, R.K. Goel, who had been earlier booked by the CBI in 2008 in a forgery case, is now hiding in Qatar," he said.
As per the hotel records, there were 46 rooms of which 35 were occupied by 60 guests on Monday night.
(With inputs from IANS)
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