New Delhi: The Delhi Police have registered an FIR under charges of culpable homicide in connection with the devastating hotel fire in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar that claimed at least 21 lives on Wednesday, officials said.
The blaze engulfed a bed-and-breakfast establishment, Flourish Stay B&B, operating from a five-storey building in the Hauz Rani area, triggering one of the deadliest fire incidents in the national capital in recent years.
According to police sources, the FIR has been lodged against the hotel owner, who is currently absconding. Multiple police teams have been deployed to trace and arrest him.
“Teams have visited the house of the hotel owner. An FIR has been registered against the owner. Teams are trying to arrest him. Multiple teams are searching for him,” a police source said.
Many of those killed were foreign nationals, primarily from Central Asian and African countries. Several others sustained injuries and were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Among those rescued were relatives of patients admitted to a private hospital located close to the building.
Preliminary investigations suggest the fire broke out early in the morning after a chef arrived at the ground-floor restaurant and switched on equipment before beginning work. Shortly afterwards, a loud blast-like sound was heard, following which flames rapidly spread through the building, trapping guests on the upper floors.
Police sources said the structure housed a basement, ground floor and five upper floors. While the restaurant operated on the ground level, the remaining floors were being used as hotel accommodation. Authorities estimate the building contained around 26 rooms, though the exact number is still being verified.
In one dramatic escape attempt, a foreign couple trapped on the fourth floor reportedly broke a window and aluminium grill before attempting to climb down using a pipe. Both fell during the attempt. The woman’s fall was partially broken by overhead wires before she hit the ground headfirst. The couple was rushed to hospital in critical condition, and officials are yet to confirm their status.
Investigators are now scrutinising the building’s fire safety compliance, particularly the validity of its fire No Objection Certificate (NOC). Sources indicated that the hotel allegedly had only a single entry-exit point, a factor that may have contributed to the high casualty count.
Fire department officials and forensic teams have begun examining the site to determine the exact cause of the blaze, while authorities continue efforts to identify victims and contact their families.
