Malviya Nagar Fire : Hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj detained after blaze kills 21; CM Rekha Gupta seeks report

At least 21 people, including 18 foreign nationals, were killed and several others injured after a massive fire broke out at a bed-and-breakfast operating from a five-storey building in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar early Wednesday, officials said.

The victims were largely citizens of Central Asian and African countries, according to people familiar with the matter. Several injured persons were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.

The blaze erupted at Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani, a densely populated locality in Malviya Nagar, triggering a major rescue operation involving the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), Delhi Police and other emergency agencies.

Hotel owner Luvkesh Bajaj was detained hours after police said he was absconding. Delhi Police has registered an FIR under charges of culpable homicide and launched an investigation into the tragedy.

Delhi Divisional Officer Ravinder Singh said the rescue operation had been completed and the fire was fully extinguished.

The Delhi Fire Services received an emergency call in the morning and rushed multiple firefighting units to the scene, including water tenders, water bowsers and a quick-response vehicle. Several fire engines were deployed around 8.50 am to bring the blaze under control.

Officials said three people were rescued from the basement of Lemon Green Restaurant, located in the same building complex. They were shifted to hospital in CATS ambulances. Their condition was not immediately known.

Preliminary investigations have raised questions over the building’s fire safety compliance. Police sources said the hotel reportedly had only one entry and exit point, while the fire no-objection certificate (NOC) is under scrutiny.

The exact cause of the fire remains unknown and will be determined through a detailed investigation.

The tragedy sparked scenes of anguish outside Max Hospital in Saket, where relatives gathered in search of information about family members believed to have been inside the building when the fire broke out.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced ex-gratia assistance from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The families of those killed will receive ₹2 lakh each, while the injured will be given ₹50,000.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also expressed sorrow over the incident and said the government was closely monitoring the situation. In a post on X, she said teams from the Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and CATS Ambulance Services were deployed immediately after the fire was reported, helping rescue and evacuate several people from the building.