At least 21 individuals lost their lives, including 12 foreign nationals, when a fire broke out at a hotel in New Delhi on Wednesday. Authorities described the incident as the deadliest in the city since 2022.
The specific nationalities of the foreign victims have not been officially confirmed. However, they may include citizens from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique, and Liberia, though these details remain unverified.
Eyewitnesses recounted harrowing scenes as several people jumped from the burning four-storey building in an attempt to escape the flames. Local residents quickly responded by placing mattresses on the ground to cushion the falls. One witness, Sher Khan, described how a woman jumped from the third floor carrying a small child onto the mattresses.
Television footage captured the intense blaze engulfing the building, with thick smoke billowing as people leapt from upper floors. Residents noted that the fire started on the ground and first floors, trapping those above.
Wasim Raja, a local who assisted in rescue efforts, said mattresses were brought from a nearby shop to aid those escaping through windows. The fire erupted shortly before 9 a.m. local time, prompting the deployment of eight fire tenders to control the blaze, which was extinguished around midday.
Authorities reported that 49 people were hospitalized, with eight discharged after treatment. Two patients remain in critical condition at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Preliminary investigations indicate the fire may have originated in a restaurant operating on the ground floor, local official Jitendra Kumar. Police have registered a case and detained the building owner, Lavkesh Bajaj, as inquiries continue.
In a significant development, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and assured that all possible assistance is being provided to those affected by the tragedy.
