At least 21 people have been killed and dozens more injured after a fire tore through a multi-storey bed-and-breakfast facility in the Malviya Nagar area of south New Delhi on Wednesday morning. More than 47 people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals, while authorities warned the death toll could rise. Among the dead were nine people from African countries — including Nigeria, Mozambique, and Liberia — and two from Turkmenistan; the remainder were Indian nationals.
The victims were largely foreign nationals who had travelled to India specifically for medical care or to accompany relatives undergoing treatment at a nearby private hospital. India receives close to two million medical tourists each year, drawn by the relatively low cost and high quality of care; an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 of those visitors come from African countries annually. The Flourish Stay facility, situated in a neighbourhood that serves as a hub for medical tourism, was catering to this vulnerable clientele when fire broke out on the ground floor at around 8:48 a.m. and rapidly spread upward through the six-storey building.
Investigators quickly identified severe safety violations as a contributing factor. The building had no valid fire safety certificate, no in-house firefighting infrastructure, and only a single entry and exit point — a layout that investigators said violated fire safety norms. Though the property had municipal approval for just six rooms, it was reportedly operating more than 20. The building's owner, Lovkesh Bajaj, was arrested and charged under Indian law with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and mischief by fire. Eyewitness accounts painted a harrowing picture: residents described finding people unconscious beneath beds and in washrooms, while locals spread mattresses on the ground below to cushion those who jumped from upper floors. One woman broke her leg after leaping from the third floor with her child.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and announced government compensation of 200,000 rupees (approximately $2,088) for the families of those killed and 50,000 rupees for the injured. Delhi's Lieutenant-Governor ordered a magisterial inquiry and launched a month-long safety compliance review of all hotels, lodges, nursing homes, restaurants, and similar establishments across the city. India's foreign ministry said it had contacted the relevant embassies and pledged full assistance to affected foreign nationals and their families.
The tragedy underscores a persistent problem in India, where building safety laws are frequently poorly enforced. Investigations into previous deadly fires in Delhi and other cities have repeatedly revealed the same pattern: lax inspections, faulty electrical systems, and commercial premises operating well beyond the scope of their official permits. Authorities have promised criminal action against those responsible for safety violations at the Flourish Stay facility, but critics and opposition politicians have questioned why such oversight failures continue to be discovered only after lives are lost.