The Delhi government has launched a crackdown on properties violating fire safety norms after 21 people were killed in a fire that engulfed a bed and breakfast in the Indian capital's Malviya Nagar area.
At least 12 foreign nationals were among those killed on Wednesday after fire erupted at a restaurant in the basement of the Flourish Stay hotel and spread rapidly through five floors of the building.
Survivors were seen jumping out from the higher floors of the hotel, located in the bylanes of the congested area.
The government has not formally identified the foreign nationals, but reports suggest they were mostly from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique, and Liberia, who had come to India seeking treatment at a popular hospital across the street.
India's foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said the minister was in touch with the embassies concerned and is extending all necessary assistance.
The city’s Max Hospital said in a statement: "Of the 39 patients received, 18 were brought dead, 15 are admitted in ICU, including eight patients on ventilator and in a critical condition."
Delhi government said it would initiate a sealing drive in phases against structures found violating building by-laws and licence conditions. The measure comes after it was reported that the owner of the hotel, Lavkesh Bajaj, was operating 26 rooms, which was more than four times the permissible limit.
Most of the rooms in the building, which had a single entry and exit point, were occupied at the time of the incident.
The building also lacked a no-objection certificate from the fire department, officials said. A case has been registered in the matter and an investigation is ongoing in which Mr Bajaj has been detained, police said.
According to the Times of India newspaper, Mr Bajaj told the police he did not have the time to personally manage or oversee the premises and day-to-day operations had been handed over to “another person”. The report or officials did not identify the person who managed the property. Bajaj is expected to be produced before a court on Thursday.
However, locals and opposition party leaders have criticised the fire department for its slow response, which they claimed cost more lives.
Locals said they heard a loud sound around 8.30am and saw the blaze completely engulf the building, but the fire department vehicles arrived almost an hour late, despite the fire station being less than five minutes away.
Lovkesh Bajaj, co-owner of Hotel Flourish Stays, arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with Malviya Nagar fire incident.
— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2026
A massive fire broke out at the hotel, claiming the lives of 21 people.
(Pic: Delhi Police) pic.twitter.com/NBMyV2jw72
"Had they arrived on time, they would have been able to save a lot more lives," said a local, Sarajana, who lives next to the burnt building.
By the time the officials arrived, the fire had already spread, trapping those staying on the upper floors.
"There is a mattress shop here... We took the mattresses from there and laid them on the road to help those who were jumping out of the building," said Wasim Raja, a local resident.
The fire department refuted the claims, saying they dispatched eight fire tenders to douse the blaze. "We received a call at 8.50am, and immediately rushed seven vehicles to the spot. There was no delay from the fire department," a Delhi fire service officer told PTI.
Somnath Bharti, a former local lawmaker from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), criticised the speed of the emergency response, saying that “they could have saved more people”.
“No one can predict such an incident, but how the government responds is what one has to worry about,” he told The Independent.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned the government's account, asking how the first fire engine reached the site only at 9am, nearly an hour after the blaze erupted.
"This is despite the fact that the fire station is located only about three minutes away from the site, along with the Malviya Nagar Police Station," he said.
Prime minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences for the loss of lives in a post on X. "Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected," he said.
The Delhi government on Thursday announced a compensation of Rs1m for the families of each of those deceased in the fire.
Wednesday's fire was the worst blaze reported in the capital since 2022, when 27 workers were killed in a fire at an electronics unit.
