21 Dead As Massive Hotel Fire Sparks Panic In New Delhi

(The Hotel in New Delhi. Photo by Channels TV)

At least 21 people have been killed after a fire tore through a hotel in New Delhi on Wednesday, in what police described as one of the deadliest fire incidents in the Indian capital in recent years.

The blaze broke out in the morning at Flourish Stay, a bed-and-breakfast located in a densely populated neighbourhood in the southern part of the city.

Delhi Police confirmed the death toll in an official statement, adding that search and rescue operations were still ongoing and that more than 40 people had been taken to hospital for treatment.

A nearby medical facility reported that eight of the injured were in a critical condition.

Approximately 47 guests were staying at the hotel at the time the fire started, according to local lawmaker Satish Upadhyay.

Television footage showed flames engulfing the building and thick black smoke billowing into the sky, as firefighters worked to bring the situation under control and ambulances arrived to assist the injured.

Local residents also rushed to the scene, with some laying out mattresses on the street below to catch people who jumped from the upper floors to escape the flames.

Several of those who lost their lives were reported to be visitors from African countries who had travelled to New Delhi for medical treatment, according to local media reports.

The fire was eventually contained with the deployment of eight fire engines.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as tragic and extended his condolences to the families of the victims.

Reports suggested the hotel had only a single entry and exit point and lacked adequate ventilation conditions that would have significantly hampered evacuation efforts.

Upadhyay vowed that a full inquiry would be carried out and that anyone found to have violated safety regulations would face immediate arrest.

The exact cause of the fire had not been established at the time of reporting.

Electrical faults caused by poorly maintained wiring are the most common cause of fire incidents across India, where building fires remain a recurring problem due to inadequate firefighting infrastructure and widespread non-compliance with safety standards.

The tragedy follows a series of deadly fire incidents in the country in recent years.

In March, a fire at a government hospital in eastern India claimed the lives of 10 critically ill patients, and in 2019, a fire at a factory building in Delhi's old quarter killed 43 workers who had been sleeping on the premises.