African nationals among 21 dead in Delhi fire

At least 21 people died in a fire at a hotel in India’s capital, Delhi, on Wednesday. Local media reported that 18 of the victims were foreign nationals. According to police, 17 of the 21 victims were from Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique and Bangladesh. The fire broke out around 8:48 am at the Flourish Stay B&B in the Malviya Nagar area.

Officials said many of those who died were from Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique and Bangladesh, with several among them being medical tourists or relatives of patients at nearby hospitals. India’s foreign ministry said it was in touch with the concerned embassies and extending all necessary assistance, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in a post on X.

Police arrested the hotel owner, Lavkesh Bajaj, late Wednesday on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and mischief by fire. Police alleged negligence in failing to ensure adequate safety measures. A Delhi court sent Bajaj to four days of police custody.

The Delhi government announced a city-wide crackdown on illegal properties, unauthorised guest houses, and establishments violating fire safety norms and building by-laws. The chief minister’s office said non-compliant premises would be sealed and those responsible prosecuted.

Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and routine disregard for safety regulations. The blaze was the deadliest in the city since 2022.

SOURCE: MRA