A bed and breakfast (B&B) hotel in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar where a fire killed at least 21 people on Wednesday was allegedly operating beyond its permitted capacity, with officials pointing out that the establishment was running 24 rooms despite getting approval for only six.
The fire at Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani left several others injured, making it one of the deadliest fire tragedies in the national capital in recent years.
According to a source from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Delhi Tourism Department has granted permission for only six rooms in the property under the B&B scheme. However, the facility allegedly operated 24 rooms. Online booking platforms also showed 24 rooms available for booking.
Officials are examining whether any violations of licensing and safety rules may have contributed to the scale of the tragedy.
21 dead and more than 40 rescued
The fire broke out in the five-storey building housing the B&B in the busy Hauz Rani area of Malviya Nagar. While initial reports indicated that the fire may have originated from the nearby Lemon Green restaurant, police later clarified that the fire started inside the hotel building itself.
More than 40 people were rescued from the smoke-filled building and taken to nearby hospitals, where 21 people were declared dead. Officials said many of the dead were foreign nationals, mostly from Central Asian and African countries. The death toll is likely to rise as a number of victims remain in critical condition.
The building consists of a basement, ground floor and five upper floors, according to Delhi Fire Services officials.
Videos from the scene showed thick plumes of smoke engulfing the building, charred exterior parts and rescue personnel evacuating trapped residents. Some footage also showed people jumping from upper floors in a desperate attempt to escape the flames.
An eyewitness said he noticed smoke and flames rising from the building at around 9:30 am.
He said, “I saw four to six people breaking the glass and jumping from the building to escape the fire. One of them apparently broke his leg after falling.”
Residents joined the rescue efforts
Residents and local shop owners joined the rescue efforts before emergency services arrived. Witnesses said a mattress seller spread mattresses on the ground to cushion people jumping from the building, while others performed CPR on the injured.
Residents said the bed and breakfast was largely used by people looking for temporary accommodation while awaiting treatment at nearby Max Hospital.
Giriraj Prajapati (40), a local resident who was at the site when the fire broke out, said: “Unfortunately, a lot of buildings here were built similarly, without ventilation. I think this is what allowed the fire to spread so much. People were jumping from the upper floors onto mattresses, as smoke filled the entire building.”
“There were no windows, not even in the bathrooms.”
Many of the bed and breakfast residents were reportedly relatives of patients receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.
“My mother was scheduled to have knee replacement surgery this morning, so me, her, my brother and I have been staying here for the past five days. I was with her in the hospital, and fortunately my brother left the building ten minutes before the fire started. However, all our passports and belongings are inside, and we are worried that they may have been burned,” said Minhazul Hassan (26), a law graduate from Bangladesh who traveled to Delhi to treat his mother.
He added, “The building was not well ventilated, as there were no windows, not even in the bathrooms.”
Read also: How the fire spread at a South Delhi B&B and killed 21 people, including foreigners
Some residents claimed that the building had only one exit, and they claimed that firefighters arrived at the site about an hour after the fire broke out. These allegations cannot be independently verified.
The cause of the Malviya Nagar fire is still unknown
The building suffered extensive damage, with burned materials, shattered glass and debris scattered throughout the site. Rescue teams from Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police and disaster response units conducted a thorough search of the structure which had turned black due to smoke before declaring the rescue operation complete.
Jitendra Kumar, a local administration official, said there was a restaurant operating on the ground floor of the building and investigators were examining whether the fire could be linked to activities there.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sadness at the loss of lives, describing the incident as tragic. He expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Police and other agencies have launched an investigation, and officials are expected to examine whether any violations of building, fire safety or tourism codes played a role in the disaster.
