Twelve foreign nationals were among the 21 people killed when a major fire swept through a budget bed-and-breakfast in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar on Wednesday morning, in one of the capital’s deadliest blazes in recent years.The fire broke out around 8:30 am at Flourish Stay B&B in the Hauz Rani area, a densely populated locality popular with budget travellers and medical tourists. Fire services rushed multiple tenders to the scene but faced delays due to narrow lanes. More than 40 people were rescued, but 21 were declared dead on arrival or succumbed later in hospital.
Among the dead were 12 foreign nationals.The dead include four Nigerians, two nationals from Kyrgyzstan, two from Mozambique, and one each from Liberia and Uzbekistan. Eight Bangladeshi nationals, two Nepalis, two Cameroonians, two Kenyans, three Liberians, one Nigerian and three Kazakhs have been injured in the incident, authorities said. Several others remain in critical condition. Three Bangladeshi nationals, two from Cameroon and two from Libya are still on ventilator. Two Bangladeshi nationals and two Nepal nationals have been discharged. Many of the injured are being treated at Max Super Speciality Hospital in Saket and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh visited the injured at the hospitals on Wednesday. He commended the efforts of medical staff, saying, “I commend the dedicated efforts of the doctors, nurses, and hospital staff whose timely and exceptional care has been instrumental in saving lives and treating the injured.
The Ministry of External Affairs said it was in constant touch with the embassies concerned and has been extending all possible assistance to the families of the deceased and injured foreign nationals.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed his deepest condolences. “My deepest condolences at the loss of lives, including of foreign nationals, in the tragic fire incident in Malviya Nagar, New Delhi. Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he said in a post on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the deaths and announced ex-gratia payments from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured.
As per reports, police have registered an FIR for culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the owner of the B&B, who is reportedly absconding. Preliminary inquiries point to multiple safety violations, including sealed and grilled windows, a single functional exit with failed sensor gates, overcrowding on basement and upper floors, and poor access for emergency vehicles.
Meanwhile, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has ordered a month-long fire safety drive across hotels, guest houses and commercial establishments in the capital.
Source: Wion News
