Malviya Nagar fire highlights: 18 out of 21 killed in Delhi fire were foreigners; building owner detained

Malviya Nagar fire LIVE: Witnesses spoke of chaotic scenes as the fire spread quickly through the multi-storey building, leaving several people with no option but to jump from the upper floors to escape.

A local resident, Om, said he saw people leaping from the building as the fire grew more severe.

"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 news agency ANI.

Delhi fire news LIVE: Minhazul Hassan (26), a law graduate who travelled from Bangladesh to Delhi for his mother's surgery, told HT, "My mother was scheduled to get a knee replacement surgery this morning, so me, her, and my brother were staying here for the past five days. I was in the hosptial with her, and thankfully my brother left the building ten minutes before the fire started.

However, all our passports and belongings are inside, and we are worried that those might have been burnt. The building was not well ventilated, as there were no windows, not even in the bathrooms."

Malviya Nagar fire LIVE: AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the Delhi government “is blaming those who died in the fire” while speaking to the media over the fire incident.

“21 people were burnt alive in this fire. There might be more casualties. Now, the government is blaming those who died in the fire. So many people came from foreign countries. People had come here for the treatment of their relatives. They were all constrained. The government should have some shame,” he said.

Delhi fire news LIVE: Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday called the incident “extremely heartbreaking”.

A massive fire broke out in a bed and breakfast hotel in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people.

“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,” he said in a social media post.

Delhi fire news LIVE: A massive fire broke out in a bed and breakfast hotel in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people.

Officials said several of the victims were foreign nationals, mostly from Central Asia and Africa.

BJP MLA Satish Upadhyay told reporters, “There were Bangladeshis and people from SAARC countries who came here for medical treatment and stayed in BnB.”

Malviya Nagar fire LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the fire incident in Malviya Nagar here and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each to the next of kin of each of the deceased and ₹50,000 for those injured.

The prime minister said an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund would be given to the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for those injured.

Delhi fire news LIVE: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday condoled the loss of lives in the fire incident in Malviya Nagar here and urged the state government to provide adequate and timely compensation, including prompt medical care to those injured.

In a post on X, Kharge said, "Deeply saddened by the tragic fire incident in Malviya Nagar, Delhi. My heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured."

Malviya Nagar fire LIVE: The massive fire that broke out in a restaurant in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar has been extinguished, DCP (South) Anant Mittal said in a statement.

“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,” he added.

Delhi Malviya Nagar fire LIVE: The death toll in the massive fire that broke out in a restaurant in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar has increased.

According to officials, 21 people have been killed in the incident. Several people are also reportedly injured.

Malviya Nagar fire LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the fire in Delhi.

“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,” a statement from the Prime Minister's office said.

“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,” it added.

Delhi fire news LIVE: Reacting to the incident, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta expressed sorrow over the deaths and said the government was keeping a close watch on the situation.

In a post on X, Gupta said emergency teams from the Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and CATS Ambulance Services were deployed as soon as information about the fire was received.

Delhi fire news LIVE: The blaze erupted at the restaurant during the morning hours, with several people reported trapped inside the building. Firefighters rushed to the spot and launched rescue efforts to evacuate those caught in the fire.

Delhi fire news LIVE: At least 18 people were killed, and several were injured after a fire broke out at a restaurant in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar area on Wednesday, prompting a major rescue operation by the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), according to Delhi Police.