13 foreign nationals among victims of Delhi hotel fire: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs said 13 foreign nationals were among the 21 victims of the Delhi hotel fire in Malviya Nagar. India is coordinating with concerned embassies, assisting with documentation and medical support for the injured and victims’ families

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said 13 foreign nationals are among those who died in a hotel fire in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, and the ministry is in touch with the embassies of their countries, extending help with paperwork and medical assistance.

Of the 13, four were from Nigeria, three from Kyrgyzstan, and one each from Mozambique, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Congo, Liberia, and Iraq, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters at his weekly media briefing.

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He was asked the official figures for the number of foreigners who have died in the incident. Twenty-one people were killed and several others injured in a massive fire in a hotel in Delhi’s Hauz Rani area on Wednesday.

“As per available information, there are 13 foreign nationals among those who have died in the Delhi fire incident,” Jaiswal said. The MEA offers condolences to the families who have lost their members, he said. “We are in touch with all their embassies, and we are trying to help them in the manner that they want. We are intervening with local authorities for all the paperwork that is required, as also with the hospital authorities, for any medical assistance required,” Jaiswal added.

About 20-22 foreign nationals have sustained injuries in the fire incident, he said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday grieved the deaths in the hotel fire.

“Express my deepest condolences at the loss of lives, including of foreign nationals, in the tragic fire incident in Malviya Nagar, New Delhi. Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. MEA is in touch with Embassies and is extending all necessary assistance,” he said on X.

The fire at the Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani in Malviya Nagar started around 8.30 am on June 3 and quickly spread through the five-floor narrow building that had only one entry-exit point, permanently sealed windows, and a sensor-operated main door – Factors which combined to turn the building into a virtual death trap.

As the flames raged, catching everybody unawares, some in their sleep, rescue workers, including many locals, rushed to pull out those trapped inside.

At least 58 people were rescued and rushed to various hospitals where 21 were declared brought dead, officials said on Wednesday.

Family members of many of the persons who died in the blaze were being treated at hospitals nearby. According to police, the hotel had permission for only six rooms, granted under the Delhi government’s bed and breakfast policy, but was operating 25 rooms, with a few built even in the basement.

The structure housed a restaurant on the ground floor. The police have arrested hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj and registered a case under several charges, including culpable homicide.

Heavily criticised over safety norms violations and unauthorised commercial activities in the area, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has since launched an enforcement drive against unauthorised commercial properties in its South Zone.