Deadly Hotel Fire in New Delhi Claims at Least 21 Lives

A fire tore through a hotel in New Delhi on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people in one of the worst such disasters the Indian capital has seen in years. Police confirmed the death toll late Wednesday, saying the blaze broke out in a building on a busy street in the southern neighborhood of Malviya Nagar. The building houses a restaurant on the ground floor and a hotel above, in a densely populated area popular with students and young professionals.

Eight fire engines responded to the scene, and more than 40 people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals. “It is with profound sorrow that 21 persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident,” Delhi police said in a statement. Local media reported that several of the victims were visitors from African countries who had come to the city for medical treatment. Many foreign patients travel to New Delhi for care and stay in residential hotels like this one.

Television footage showed two people jumping from upper floors to escape the flames and smoke. Local residents rushed to help, pulling people from the building and carrying the injured to safety. Officials said the cause of the fire is not yet known, but building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and lax safety rules. A local administrator said the fire likely started in the ground-floor restaurant.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the loss of lives tragic and offered his condolences to the families, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. Authorities said all concerned agencies remain at the site to assist those affected.