India, May 30 -- As flames engulfed former CCI chairman Dhanendra Kumar's Hauz Khas residence late at night, neighbours scrambled to remove cars from narrow lanes, form bucket chains and rescue trapped family members, with residents alleging that delayed fire tenders, chaotic parking and "fortress-like" barricading of colonies hampered the emergency response to the blaze that claimed the retired bureaucrat's life.

Days before his 80th birthday on June 6 and with preparations underway for a family gathering on May 30, Kumar, a retired IAS officer and former Executive Director representing India at the World Bank, died due to smoke inhalation after the fire broke out at his south Delhi home on Wednesday night. His son, who had flown in fro...