Delhi restaurant fire: Of 21 deceased, 15 were foreign nationals
What's the story
As many as 21 people were killed and more than 40 others rescued after a fire broke out at a hotel in Delhi's Malviya Nagar on Wednesday morning. Of the 21 deceased, over 15 were foreign nationals, many of whom had come to the city for medical checkup. The fire broke out around 8.50am in the Flourish Stay hotel's restaurant, which was located in the basement of the five-story building before spreading to another nearby hotel, the Micasa Inn.
Rescue response
People spread mattresses, some jumped with a little kid
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as people jumped from upper floors to escape the flames. One resident, Om, recalled seeing five people jump from the building and one person breaking their leg in the chaos. Another eyewitness, Sher Khan, said the fire started small but grew quickly. "People spread mattresses, and some from the third floor jumped on it with a little kid," Khan said.
Lapses
Area is very congested
Atul Garg, former Director of the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), detailing the challenges of the rescue operation, said the area is very congested and there is no water source available. "Fire tenders cannot go easily....Many houses have only one staircase. A lot of smoke was there, and because of this, people have died. They didn't get the time to comeout.. Since they have no NOC and other things, I think there was no safety measure available there."
Garg
Buildings have little ventilation
Residents and officials reported that the hotel was primarily frequented by people who needed a place to stay while waiting for treatment at the adjacent Max Hospital. One local told HT that the building, like many in the area, had inadequate ventilation. "Unfortunately a lot of buildings here are built similarly, with no ventilation. I suspect this is what allowed the fire to spread so much," Giriraj Prajapati (40), who lives nearby, told HT.
Hotel
Hotel had permission for just 6 rooms
The hotel had roughly 25 rooms and was accommodating around 40 visitors, the majority of whom were foreign nationals visiting the country for medical treatment. The majority of the hotel's guests were asleep when the fire started. Sources told India Today that the Delhi government had granted permission for the establishment to operate six rooms under the Bed and Breakfast scheme. However, the hotel was allegedly operating 25 rooms, including some in the basement.