Delhi Malviya Nagar Fire Live Updates: Several jump from building in desperate bid to escape; Delhi Police files culpable homicide FIR

BJP MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said, "This is a terrible tragedy. I express my condolences to the families of the deceased. The Delhi Government has ordered an inquiry into the incident. The inquiry report will be released in due course. Those found guilty must face the strictest possible punishment. I have also been informed that the building housing this restaurant or hotel did not possess the requisite No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department. The hotel was being operated in blatant violation of building bylaws. A large number of people have sustained injuries. Both the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Delhi have expressed their deep concern regarding this incident. The government's immediate priority is to ensure the speedy recovery of the injured. They are being provided with proper medical treatment, and all expenses incurred on their treatment will be borne jointly by the Delhi Government and the Central Government... The Chief Minister of Delhi will also separately announce financial assistance for these families very shortly. Approximately ten of our police personnel were also injured while attempting to save lives and have been admitted to the hospital... We must identify the MCD officials who were posted in that area at the time of its construction and hold them accountable for their negligence..."

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress on Wednesday alleged serious lapses in the fire department's response to the devastating blaze at a hotel in Delhi's Malviya Nagar that claimed at least 21 lives, including those of several foreign nationals.

The fire broke out around 8:30 am at the Flourish Stay bed-and-breakfast facility located in a five-storey building in the congested Hauz Rani area of south Delhi.

Former AAP MLA from Malviya Nagar and the party's Delhi president, Somnath Bharti, alleged that the fire brigade reached the spot nearly an hour after the incident was reported.

"The rescue teams were dispatched, but the fire brigade, which should have arrived within a few minutes of the incident, reached almost an hour later, despite the station just three minutes away from the spot. Residents were extremely proactive. Because of their efforts, many lives were saved. We could have saved many more lives had the fire brigade arrived on time," Bharti said.

He further alleged negligence on the part of the government, citing previous fire incidents in the city.

He said, "‌In the last three months, this is the third major fire incident where the government's negligence can be seen. In February, nine people were burned alive, and the fire brigade came, but its equipment did not work. It is criminal negligence on the part of the government," Bharadwaj said.

After visiting the site, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav also questioned the functioning of the fire department and pointed to alleged violations at the property.

"There is an absolute failure of the fire department in this case, and several other incidents have been reported in the past few days, but the government is not focusing on this. Before this, there were incidents in Palam and Vivek Vihar. There was only permission for 6 rooms, but around 20 rooms were here; there were grave lapses."

Former Delhi chief minister Atishi also expressed grief over the loss of lives and raised concerns about fire safety in the city.

In a post on X in Hindi, she said, The news of 20 lives lost in the Malviya Nagar fire is extremely heartbreaking. My condolences are with all those families who have lost their loved ones. But the question is, who will take responsibility for the repeated fire incidents in Delhi and the deaths of innocent people? Under the BJP government, why has the fire safety system deteriorated to such a deplorable state?”

Seventeen foreign nationals were among the 21 people killed in the devastating fire that broke out at a hotel in Delhi's Malviya Nagar on Wednesday, officials said. Most of the foreign victims are believed to be from Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique and Bangladesh.

The fire erupted at Flourish Stay B&B, a bed-and-breakfast facility in the area, at around 8:48 am. More than 40 people were rescued during the firefighting and evacuation operation. Officials had earlier stated that over 15 foreign nationals were among those who lost their lives in the incident.

Addressing a press conference, Max Healthcare Group Medical Director Dr Sandeep Budhiraja said eight patients injured in the blaze remain in critical condition and are currently on ventilator support.

"Eight patients are on ventilators and undergoing treatment. The majority of them have suffered from asphyxiation injuries, which are caused by smoke inhalation. All of them have minor burns, not deep burns. One patient had burns of more than 25 per cent. He was on a ventilator, so we shifted him to the burn ward at Safdarjung Hospital. Five patients were stable and came with minor injuries," Budhiraja said.

He said several patients sustained fractures after reportedly jumping from the upper floors of the building in an attempt to escape the flames.

"These patients basically had two or three types of injuries: lung injuries, minor burns, and bone injuries. Because many patients claimed they jumped from high buildings, the resulting fractures were long bone fractures and pelvic bone fractures. One patient has a spinal injury and is undergoing neurosurgery," Budhiraja said.

The doctor added that both Indian and foreign nationals were among the victims. He further said that 18 of the deceased included nine men and nine women.

MCD Mayor Pravesh Wahi said, "A tragic incident has occurred. I am in constant contact with the Commissioner stationed at the site. Our ministers and senior officials from the municipal corporation are present on the ground. Every possible effort is being made to provide assistance. The Prime Minister has also announced a measure of relief assistance for the victims. We have issued strict directives to ensure that such incidents do not recur; officials will conduct continuous and rigorous inspections across all areas. Any negligence regarding safety protocols or hazardous conditions will not be tolerated under any circumstances, and we will take every measure to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated. The exact cause has not yet been determined... 47 people sustained injuries, and it has been confirmed that 21 of them have lost their lives..."

Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the devastating fire that broke out at a hotel in Delhi's Malviya Nagar area, calling the incident "heartbreaking".

At least 21 people were killed after a massive blaze engulfed a bed-and-breakfast facility operating from a five-storey building in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar earlier in the day.

Reacting to the tragedy, Soren said the incident had left him deeply saddened, according to news agency PTI.

"The heartbreaking news of the loss of lives in the fire at a hotel in Malviya Nagar, Delhi, has left me deeply distressed. May Marang Buru grant peace to the souls of the departed and provide strength to the bereaved families to endure this hour of grief," Soren posted on X.

He also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the fire.

Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, Babulal Marandi, also expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

"I am deeply shocked by the loss of lives due to the fire that broke out in a building in Malviya Nagar, Delhi. I extend my heartfelt condolences to those families who have lost their loved ones," Marandi wrote on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from PMNRF. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also expressed grief, stating that all emergency agencies responded quickly and relief efforts are ongoing.

SDM and DDMA official Jitendra Kumar said emergency response teams were activated immediately after the alert. Preliminary assessment suggests the fire may have originated from the restaurant on the ground floor, though the exact cause has not been confirmed and investigations are ongoing.

Many of those who lost their lives are believed to be foreigners. However, authorities have not yet released full identification details, and verification work is currently underway.

At least 21 people have died in the incident, officials said. Rescue teams managed to pull out 37 people from the building and shifted them to hospitals using CATS ambulances. Earlier reports indicated that three people were rescued from the basement before being taken for treatment.

A major fire broke out at a restaurant in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area on Wednesday morning. The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received the alert at around 09:45 am and immediately rushed multiple fire tenders to the spot to control the flames and carry out rescue operations.