NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has ordered a magisterial probe into a massive fire at Arpit Palace Hotel in central Delhi's Karol Bagh area on Tuesday in which at least 17 people were killed, its Home Minister Satyendar Jain said. Jain, who visited the hotel where the fire broke out in the early hours of the morning, told reporters that he has also directed the fire department to inspect buildings which are five floors or more and submit a report on their fire safety compliance within a week.

"We have ordered for a magisterial inquiry into the case. Seventeen people have died, most of them of suffocation. Apparently, there were lapses (from the hotel administration's side) and action will taken against those found guilty," he said. Generally, four floors are allowed for such establishments, the minister said.

A case has been registered against hotel owner Subendu Goyal under sections 304, 308 of the IPC and the police have arrested general manager and manager of the hotel.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced Rs 5 lakh compensation to the next of kin of those killed in the fire. Kejriwal announced the compensation after visiting the spot.

Meanwhile, Union minister K J Alphons said the emergency exit of the Arpit Palace hotel was "too narrow" and also locked. The minister, who visited the site of the tragedy in central Delhi's Karol Bagh locality, said he was sure that there would be violation of norms.

The Union tourism minister said there were a lot of wooden structures inside, which may have helped the fire spread.  "When I headed to the emergency exit, I found that it had been locked yesterday (last night). Also, it was too narrow," he told reporters.

"Obviously, even if people came to the emergency exit, they could not have escaped as it was too narrow and it was locked anyway," he said. Alphons said he spoke to the  mayor and asked him to check whether all regulations were in place and to take immediate action if there was any lapse on the part of the hotel management.

(With inputs from PTI)