New Delhi [India], June 3 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday expressed grief over the Malviya Nagar fire tragedy in Delhi that claimed 21 lives, describing the incident as “extremely heartbreaking” and urging Congress workers to assist in relief and rescue efforts. In a post on X, Gandhi said, “The news of the deaths of several people in the fire in Malviya Nagar, Delhi, is extremely heartbreaking. I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families. I urge all Congress workers to contribute in every possible way to the relief and rescue operations. I hope for the swift recovery of the injured.” Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also condoled the loss of lives and prayed for the speedy recovery of those
injured in the incident. “The heart is deeply distressed by the tragic incident of a fire breaking out in a hotel located in Malviya Nagar, Delhi. My profound condolences go out to the families who have lost their loved ones in this heart-wrenching event. I pray to God that the departed souls may find a place at His divine feet and that He grant strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense sorrow. At the same time, I wish for the swift and complete recovery of all the injured,” said the ‘X’ post from Vadra. Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also expressed sorrow over the tragedy, saying he was deeply distressed by the loss of lives in the fire incident. “The heart is deeply distressed by the tragic incident of a fire breaking out in a hotel located in Malviya Nagar, Delhi. My profound condolences go out to the families who have lost their loved ones in this heart-wrenching event. I pray to God that the departed souls may find a place at His divine feet and that He grant strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense sorrow. At the same time, I wish for the swift and complete recovery of all the injured,” said Khattar on ‘X’. Meanwhile, AIIMS officials said 13 patients were brought to the hospital following the incident, including three who sustained critical injuries after falling from a height while trying to escape the blaze. Officials added that 28 other rescued persons were admitted to Max Hospital and Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya Hospital for treatment. At least 21 people lost their lives while more than 40 others were rescued after a massive fire broke out at a hotel-cum-guest house in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area on Wednesday morning, officials said. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as flames rapidly engulfed the multi-storey building, forcing several occupants to jump from upper floors in a desperate attempt to save themselves. A resident, Sher Khan, said the fire initially appeared minor before spreading rapidly across the building. “I was going to the shop in the morning. There was a small fire here at first, then it kept increasing. As the fire increased, it seemed as if there was no way to escape. People spread mattresses on the ground, and some people from the third floor jumped onto them with a little child. One woman said she had fractured her leg. The public made a lot of effort to help, but the situation became more intense as time passed,” Khan told ANI. Another local resident, Om, recalled seeing people jumping from the building as the blaze intensified. “At around 9:30 am, we saw a very intense fire here. My friend and I were on a scooter at that time. The entire building was engulfed in flames and people were jumping from different sides. We saw around five people jumping. One person also broke a leg. The entire road was blocked and there was a huge crowd,” he told ANI. According to Delhi Police, more than 15 foreign nationals were among those who died in the incident. (ANI)
