Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday sought a detailed report from the South Delhi district magistrate on the Malviya Nagar fire tragedy, which claimed 21 lives, and warned of strict action if any loopholes are found, officials said.
According to Delhi government officials, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) of the District Disaster Management Authority (South) received information about a fire at Flourish Stay Guest House in Hauz Rani area of Malviya Nagar at 8.52 am.
Immediately, emergency response agencies were alerted in accordance with standard operating procedures. First responders found a fierce fire engulfing the guest house.
Officials said that two medical teams, each comprising two doctors and six paramedics, were dispatched to the scene at 9.54am and reached the site at 10.05am.
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Forty-seven people affected by the fire accident were transferred to different hospitals. Of these, 21 people lost their lives, while 17 were found injured. Officials said the condition of nine individuals was described as critical.
According to preliminary information, the fire broke out in a restaurant located on the ground floor of the guest house. They said that Lavkesh Bajaj’s name appeared as the owner of the guest house.
15 fire engines were deployed to control the fire and personnel from various agencies, including Delhi Fire Service (DFS), Delhi Police and DDMA, launched a joint search and rescue operation.
According to data from the hospital, six people were brought to the trauma center of AIIMS, three of them were found dead, two were injured, and the condition of one person was critical.
Three people were admitted to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital, two of whom were injured, and one patient was referred to Safdarjung Hospital for further treatment.
A total of 38 people were taken to Max Hospital in Saket, 18 of them were found dead, 13 others were injured, and the condition of seven of them was described as critical. One of the patients was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital, officials said.
The fire was brought under control and search and rescue work was completed by 12 noon. The administration is currently investigating the causes of the accident.
Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood, who visited the fire site, said authorities are checking whether the building has a valid no-objection certificate from the Financial Services Department, whether it requires a permit to run a restaurant and how many rooms are allowed for a bread and breakfast establishment.
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“The owner of this building and anyone whose negligence led to this tragedy will be identified through police investigations and arrested immediately,” Sood said, adding that police teams have already been formed to take necessary action.
He said that all concerned agencies, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Financial Services Department and Power and Water departments, have been directed to conduct inspections in the area under the supervision of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation.
The minister warned that any building found to be operating in violation of safety or regulatory rules, even to the “minimal” extent, would be inspected and closed if violations were confirmed, and no one would be rescued.
