Grief-stricken relatives and friends crowded the waiting area of Max Hospital in Saket on Wednesday, desperately looking for information about their loved ones hours after a devastating fire at a hotel in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar claimed at least 21 lives.
The hospital was packed with anxious families checking lists, making repeated phone calls and speaking to officials as victims of the blaze were brought in for treatment and identification.
Many struggled to identify those who had died because of the severity of the burns, said a PTI report. “We can’t recognise them by looking at pictures; it’s unrecognisable. Everyone is severely burnt,” one relative said through tears.
Family waits for answers
Among those searching for relatives was Namit Goel, who said six members
of his family were caught in the fire.
According to him, four bodies had been identified, while two others were yet to be located, leaving the family in uncertainty. “Four bodies are in Max Saket mortuary and two bodies are in another hospital. We are trying to locate them,” he said.
Family members said the six relatives had travelled from Gurugram for medical treatment and were staying at the hotel when the fire broke out. As they waited for information, relatives moved between hospitals and officials, hoping to trace those still missing.
Friend unable to identify missing woman
Elsewhere in the hospital, Vivek was searching for his 25-year-old friend Sujita, who is believed to have been among those affected by the fire.
He said police officials showed him photographs of victims for identification, but he was unable to recognise her in any of the images. “Can’t recognise her, her phone is also not traceable,” he said.
The uncertainty added to the distress faced by families gathered at the hospital, many of whom had spent hours trying to confirm the fate of their loved ones.
Fire at Delhi hotel
The blaze erupted at the Flourish Stay bed-and-breakfast hotel in the congested Hauz Rani area of Malviya Nagar, triggering panic among those inside the building.
Several occupants were rescued from the premises as emergency teams rushed to the scene. Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as thick smoke filled the structure and trapped residents tried to find a way out.
Many scrambled to escape as the fire spread through the building.
Investigation under way
A police official present at Max Hospital said at least 21 people were killed in the incident. The official added that more than 40 people had been rescued and that over 20 victims had been brought to Max Saket.
Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the fire. An investigation has been launched to establish how the blaze started and the circumstances that led to one of the deadliest fire incidents in the area.
