At least 21 deaths have been reported in a fire at a six-storey bed-and-breakfast accommodation in south Delhi’s Hauz Rani area on Wednesday morning, with several foreigners believed to be among the victims and many jumping off the higher floors to escape the inferno.
Police said 12 of the dead were foreigners, while 9 were Indians. Patients from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique, Liberia and other African and Central Asian nations, and their relatives, often stay in guest houses in Hauz Rani because of the presence of a super-speciality hospital nearby.
This is the capital’s worst blaze since 2022, when 27 workers were killed in a fire at an electronics unit in Mundka.
Hauz Rani, an urban village that dates back to the 12th century, is a maze of narrow lanes, parts of which enjoy exemption from several municipal building norms. B&Bs, however, are supposed to adhere to fire safety and other rules, which appear to have been flouted.
At least six people jumped off the burning Flourish Stay B&B, which had a single exit — itself a safety violation. Among them was a woman carrying a child in her arms.
Former AAP minister Somnath Bharti, the local MLA, was seen helping people at the site after thick black smoke covered the neighbourhood.
“A local mattress shop owner laid out mattresses in the lane beside the building when he saw people trying to jump. This saved many lives…. The fire engines took 50 minutes to come here,” Bharti told reporters. The Geetanjali fire station is 1km away.
Shopkeeper Sher Khan told reporters that the woman was said to have fractured her leg. “She was holding the child tightly when she jumped. A few others also jumped shortly before and after her. People below kept repositioning the mattresses wherever someone appeared ready to leap,” another eyewitness said.
Residents formed human chains, gave instructions to those trapped inside and guided them towards windows from where they could be rescued or make the jump safely.
Many of the bodies were charred beyond recognition. PTI quoted a man named Vivek who spent hours searching for his 25-year-old friend, Sujita, whom he believed to be inside the building. Though police officers showed him photographs of those dead, he could not find her.
The police said in a statement: “Today, at 8.48am, information was received regarding a fire at Flourish Stay B&B, Malviya Nagar…. Through the coordinated efforts of police, fire services and other emergency responders, more than 40 persons have been rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals.
“It is with profound sorrow that 21 persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident.” A Delhi government statement said: “According to preliminary information, the fire started from a restaurant located on the ground floor of the guest house.”
Hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj has been arrested.
The Delhi government has decided to officially withdraw its bed-and-breakfast policy and review all establishments operating under the scheme, tourism minister Kapil Mishra said on Wednesday.
Lieutenant governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has ordered a month-long drive to check fire safety compliance at all hotels, nursing homes, coaching institutes, restaurants andother vulnerable commercial establishments, officials said.
Sandhu chaired a meeting with the departments concerned and directed the officials to commence the drive from June 4, they said.
Additional reporting by PTI