At least 21 people were killed in a massive fire that broke out at a restaurant in the Malviya Nagar area of the national capital on Wednesday, news agency
ANI reported, as confirmed by the police. As many as 37 were rescued by the personnel of the Delhi Fire Service (DFS). All the rescued individuals were admitted to the Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) ambulance to the hospital. Divisional Officer (DO) Ravinder from Nehru Place (NRN) fire station is present at the incident spot. "A fire broke out at a restaurant in Malviya Nagar today. Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received a call at 09:45 AM. Three people have been rescued from the basement by DFS personnel and rushed to the hospital via CATS Ambulance. Divisional Officer (DO) Ravinder from Nehru Place (NRN) fire station is on the spot. Further details awaited," the statement said. Meanwhile, Delhi Police have said that majority of the deceased in the restaurant fire are foreign nationals. DCP South Anant Mittal said, "Today, at 08:48 AM, information was received regarding a fire at Flourish Stay B&B, Malviya Nagar. Local police staff immediately reached the spot and commenced rescue, evacuation, and relief operations. The fire has been successfully extinguished with the assistance of 8 fire tenders. Through the coordinated efforts of Police, Fire Services, and other emergency responders, more than 40 persons have been rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. It is with profound sorrow that 21 persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident. Rescue and search operations are still underway, and all concerned agencies remain deployed at the spot to ensure every possible assistance to those affected."
Fire Officer AK Malik said, "The Fire Department received the call at 8.50 AM. Initially, seven fire tenders were dispatched to the scene. More vehicles were on their way, but eventually, all the required units arrived. As soon as our team reached the site, they immediately rescued 37 people from the building... This is a multi-story building. It consists of a basement, a ground floor, and five upper floors. Based on inquiries made with people at the site, we have gathered that this building does not function as a standalone residential complex. Rather, it appears that most of the occupants were individuals whose known people were being treated in the MAX Hospital located directly across the street. Therefore, it is likely that these individuals were staying here for that specific purpose... Yes, foreign nationals were also among the occupants... The fire was brought under control quite early on—it was contained very quickly. We have now cleared the building, and opened it up for the police."
PM Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the Malviya Nagar fire incident and announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
"The loss of lives due to a fire incident in Malviya Nagar, Delhi is tragic. My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM," a social media post shared by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) read.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, meanwhile, expressed deep grief over the Malviya Nagar restaurant fire, extending condolences to bereaved families while confirming swift deployment of fire, police and emergency services, adding that the Delhi government stands firmly with all those affected.
"Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives in the devastating fire incident in Malviya Nagar. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured and for strength & courage to all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.
Immediately upon receiving information about the incident, teams of Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, DDMA, CATS Ambulance Services and other emergency response agencies were mobilised and launched rescue and relief operations. Their swift response helped in rescuing & evacuating several persons from the affected premises.
Delhi Govt. is closely monitoring the situation. All necessary medical assistance & support are being extended to the affected families.
In this hour of grief Delhi Govt. stands firmly with the affected families. We remain committed to providing every possible support to those impacted by this tragedy," the Delhi CM wrote in a post.
A local resident named Sher Khan, who witnessed the fire accident, said, "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 jump from here. People spread mattresses, and some from the 3rd floor jumped on it with a little kid... She was saying that she fractured her leg. The public made a lot of effort. However, the situation becomes intense as time passes..."
On the major fire incident in his assembly constituency of Malviya Nagar, BJP MLA Satish Upadhyay said, "There are 21 casualties and 47 people rescued so far."
"This incident occured at 8.51 am. We are here isnce 9am. Within no time, the fire department and rescuers responded. The Police and locals helped in rescuing people. So far, 47 people have been rescued. There are 21 casualties. It is a matter of investigation how the fire broke out. It is a very sad incident. The govt agencies are involved in a search and rescue mission. If the agencies had not responded on time, the incident could have been of greater intensity. There were Bangladeshis and people from SAARC countries who came here for medical treatment and stayed in BnB," Upadhyay added.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressesed condolences to the people who lost their loved ones in the Malviya Nagar restaurant fire and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.
"The fire incident in Malviya Nagar, Delhi, is heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this tragedy. I pray to God that He grants them the strength to bear this immense sorrow. At the same time, I wish for a speedy recovery for the injured," Singh wrote in a post on X.
(With inputs from agencies)
