21 Killed in New Delhi Hotel Fire, Including Foreign Nationals Seeking Medical Care
A fire ripped through a hotel in New Delhi on Wednesday morning, killing at least 21 people—many of them foreign nationals, according to police and local media reports. The blaze, one of the deadliest in the Indian capital in recent years, has renewed scrutiny over fire safety enforcement in the city's densely packed residential and commercial zones.
Indian television channels broadcast footage of flames leaping from the building and thick columns of black smoke rising over the neighborhood. Witnesses described harrowing scenes as occupants on upper floors jumped onto mattresses that residents hastily laid out on the street below.
The fire broke out at Flourish Stay, a bed-and-breakfast located in a crowded area of South Delhi, police said in a statement. The cause was not immediately determined, though officials said an investigation is underway.
“It is with profound sorrow that 21 persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident,” Delhi Police said.
Several of the victims were foreigners, primarily from Central Asia and Africa, the Press Trust of India reported, citing unnamed officials. Local media said many of those who died had come to New Delhi for medical treatment—a common pattern in India, which draws patients from across the developing world for affordable healthcare.
India's Ministry of External Affairs confirmed it was in contact with embassies whose citizens were affected. “The ministry remains in close touch with the concerned embassies and is extending all necessary assistance,” junior minister Kirti Vardhan Singh wrote on X.
More than 40 people were taken to hospitals, according to authorities. Eight remained in critical condition, a nearby hospital reported. At the time of the fire, 47 guests were registered at the hotel, said local lawmaker Satish Upadhyay.
Residents and bystanders rushed to help as firefighters worked to douse the flames and ambulances ferried the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the tragedy “heartbreaking” in a statement offering condolences.
“My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones,” his office said.
Escape and rescue
Eyewitnesses said the hotel appeared to have only one entrance and exit, and lacked proper ventilation—a common safety shortfall in many budget accommodations across Indian cities. “We got mattresses from a nearby bedding shop because people needed to be rescued,” said Mohammad Anees, a local resident. “Once the mattresses were laid out, five women jumped from the building and landed safely on them.”
Upadhyay promised a thorough inquiry: “Anyone who has broken norms and is responsible will be immediately arrested.”
Firefighting crews brought the blaze under control using eight fire engines, police said. Electrical short circuits, often from poorly maintained wiring, are the leading cause of fires in India, where building safety regulations are routinely flouted.
Wednesday’s fire is the deadliest in Delhi since 2019, when 43 factory workers died in a blaze in the city’s older quarter. In March, a fire at a government-run hospital in eastern India killed 10 critically ill patients, underscoring the country’s persistent fire-safety challenges.