Delhi hotel blaze kills 21
A fire tore through a four-storey hotel in South Delhi's Malviya Nagar, killing 21 people and injuring dozens. Broadcasters said at least 18 of the dead were foreign nationals; authorities say the blaze may have started in a ground-floor restaurant and investigations are underway.
At least 21 people were killed and more than 40 rescued after a fire swept through a four-storey hotel in South Delhi's Malviya Nagar, officials and witnesses said. The blaze, which began a little before 9 a.m. (0330 GMT) and was brought under control around midday, engulfed the building’s ground and first floors and trapped guests on higher levels, witnesses and police said.
Eight fire tenders responded and emergency crews evacuated scores of people to nearby hospitals. Police said in a statement that more than 40 persons were rescued and shifted to hospitals for treatment. A spokesperson at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences told Reuters the hospital had received 13 patients, two of whom were in critical condition.
Broadcasters reported that at least 18 of the deceased were foreign nationals from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique and Liberia, though Reuters said it could not immediately confirm all nationalities. Witnesses described chaotic rescue scenes in which residents and passers-by dragged mattresses from a nearby shop and spread them on the road to catch people who jumped from upper floors. "People spread mattresses, and a woman from the third floor jumped on it with a little kid," witness Sher Khan told reporters.
Local resident Wasim Raja said helpers took mattresses from a shop and laid them on the road to assist those jumping to safety. Local administration official Jitendra Kumar said the fire may have started in a restaurant operating on the ground floor, and investigators were working to determine the exact cause.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and said authorities were providing all possible assistance to those affected. What this means for BVI residents: the tragedy highlights risks faced by travellers and expatriate communities. Residents of the British Virgin Islands who have family in India or who plan to travel there should check on relatives and monitor updates from Indian authorities.
Travellers needing consular help should contact the nearest British consulate or the British High Commission in New Delhi. Hotels and guesthouse operators in the BVI may also wish to review fire safety compliance, emergency exits and staff training in light of the incident. Investigations are ongoing and authorities have appealed for witnesses and hotel records to help establish the cause and circumstances of the fast-spreading fire.
Primary source: VINO