A massive fire at a bed and breakfast facility in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar has claimed at least 21 lives so far and dozens more are undergoing treatment, according to the latest statement from Max Hospital, Saket Complex.
The hospital said in a media statement issued today, Wednesday, that it received 39 patients in the emergency department following the fire accident. Upon arrival, all patients underwent immediate clinical assessment and were treated by multidisciplinary teams in line with established emergency response protocols.
The hospital said, “The patients suffered from suffocation and varying degrees of burn injuries and minor fractures.”
Of the 39 patients received, 18 died, while 15 were admitted to the intensive care unit. Among them are eight patients who are on ventilators and are still in critical condition.
The hospital said five patients with minor injuries were treated and released from the hospital after receiving initial medical care. One patient was rushed to Safdarjung Hospital due to severe burns.
The statement added, “Among the dead were local and foreign citizens.”
Max Hospital said it has activated mass casualty response protocols and mobilized all available clinical and support resources to provide timely treatment to those affected.
The statement said: “Our teams continue to provide around-the-clock medical care to patients undergoing treatment.”
He added: “We offer our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.”
It is worth noting that the hospital had referred to the accident in a previous statement as a “cylinder explosion accident.” However, the updated statement issued later removed that reference and described it as a fire incident only. Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the fire.
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Fire officials are on the cause
Earlier, Chief Fire Officer (South Zone), AK Malik, said Delhi Fire Services received the emergency call at around 8:50 am and initially dispatched seven fire tenders and later expanded the response as more distress calls came in.
“We received the call at around 8:50 am and initially dispatched 7 fire engines. As we started receiving more calls, we increased the deployment of vehicles and DFS officials. A total of 37 people were rescued.”
“The fire was put out at around 10:25 am, and we completed the final search and cordoned off the building. While the cause of the fire is not yet known, the entire building is like a pillar. It is sealed off on all four sides, and even at the front, there is a facade, and the windows are closed. In buildings like this, the fire often spreads,” Malik said.
He added that only one Delhi Fire Services official, a Major, sustained minor injuries during the operation.
The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined. More information is awaited.
Read also | Delhi Restaurant Fire: At least 21 people killed in a fire at Malviya Nagar restaurant
What happened?
The deployment included two water vehicles, two water vehicles, a rapid response vehicle and other emergency equipment.
An official from the Delhi Fire Service said that three people were rescued from the basement of the Lemon Green restaurant.
The rescued people were transported to a hospital in CATS ambulances for treatment. Their condition was not immediately known.
Officials said many of the dead were foreigners, most from Central Asia and Africa.
Earlier in the day, officials said the fire broke out at the Lemon Green restaurant at 8:45 a.m. Police later clarified that the fire was actually at Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani in the busy Malviya Nagar area.
More than 40 people were rescued and taken to hospital, where 21 people were declared dead. There are fears that the death toll will rise because many of the injured are in critical condition.
