No guest was reported hurt; two firemen received injuries while tackling the blaze, reported at 12.50 pm. Chief Fire Officer R C Sharma said 40 fire tenders were sent to the spot since “there was high risk involved”. The situation was under control by 3.30 pm, he said.

Sharma said, “The fire began in the restaurant, then spread to the kitchen, the lobby, and a portion of the banquet hall. Two firemen were injured after stones fell on them— one (A K Malik) has suffered a hairline fracture.”

Hotel general manager Ray McShane said the hotel was 40 per cent occupied at the time, and guests were shifted to Hyatt Regency at Bhikaiji Cama Place and Shangri La on Ashoka Road. He said the reason of the fire is still unclear, and the hotel has formed a team to probe it further.

A fire department official said it could have been brought under control much quicker had the hotel management hastened in sending out an SOS instead of trying to douse the flames themselves. “They probably felt calling fire tenders would alarm the guests,” the official said. “Guests were of course not in any danger since the fire did not affect guest floors.”

Different eyewitness accounts put the number of evacuated people between 240 and 350.