A tragic hotel fire in Malviya Nagar South Delhi has claimed at least twenty-one lives and left many more injured. Thousands of people were affected by the fire that broke out on Wednesday morning, prompting a large-scale rescue operation and raising concerns about fire safety regulations in commercial buildings. As part of the aftermath of this tragic event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his condolences and offered financial assistance to the victims and families involved.
Blaze engulfs multi storey building
According to officials, the initial reports indicate that a fire started in the middle of a multi-floor building. The blaze appears to have originated from a restaurant located on the first floor; quickly spreading into the upper levels of the building, those living there were trapped inside by thick smoke and flames that filled each unit.
Television news outlets reported live images of flames and smoke coming out of the building; people inside the building could be seen leaving the area as panic erupted everywhere. Authorities quickly responded to the site with numerous fire trucks and opened a massive rescue operation.
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Death toll rises to 21
Twenty-one people have been confirmed dead from this event; which marks one of the worst fire-related deaths in the past several years in our nation. There have been reports that many of the people who died in this fire were foreigners who were staying at this hotel. There have been reports that victims included people from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique, and Liberia, however, authorities have not yet confirmed their ID’s.
There were also dozens of people who injured and were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Several of the victims remain in critical condition; however, more than 40 people were rescued during the operation.
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Desperate Attempts To Escape
Eyewitnesses said there was total chaos as people trapped on the upper floors tried to escape the flames. Many people attempted to break out by jumping out of the windows of the higher floors. Local residents tried to assist by attempting to put mattresses down below them to help them land safely after leaping from the building.
There are some videos being shared on social media which show massive amounts of people hanging out of windows yelling for help while firefighters were trying to put down the fire and that they worked for many hours before they were able to put it out.
PM Modi Will Provide Compensation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and all those injured from the fire and stated that the Government of India will provide every assistance possible to all of those affected by the tragedy.
The Prime Minister has made available an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, for DECEASED VICTIMS’ next of beneficiary. Those who were Injured will receive ₹50,000 as financial aid.
Police Investigate Cause of Fire
An investigation into the reason why the Restaurant in the Building caught on fire is underway, and officials say the preliminary findings indicate that the restaurant was responsible for starting the fire and forensic analysis will be completed to be sure about the origin and cause of the fire. The building owner has been taken into custody for questioning while investigators further explore whether he violated any safety laws.
The tragedy has once again raised concerns about fire safety in hotels and commercial establishments in Delhi, with many experts calling for stronger management and enforcement of building and fire codes to prevent further tragedies.
Nation Mourns Tragic Loss
As the search and recovery effort came to an end, messages of condolences were sent from all parts of the Country. The Ministry of External Affairs is also coordinating assistance to Foreign Nationals’ Families through Foreign Embassies, with this sad event once again showing that more attention is needed to management and enforcement of safety standards, so these types of tragedies will not occur again.
