A devastating fire ripped through a multi‑storey building in New Delhi’s Malviya Nagar on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring several others as thick smoke and flames trapped residents inside.
The building, located in a densely populated neighbourhood popular with students and young professionals, housed a restaurant on the ground floor and a hotel above. As the blaze spread rapidly, terrified occupants were seen hanging from windows and shouting for help while firefighters battled the inferno with eight fire engines.
More than 40 people were rescued and rushed to nearby hospitals, according to Delhi police. The cause of the fire remains unknown, but early images from the scene showed firefighters struggling to contain the flames as smoke billowed across the area.
Local residents joined emergency crews in a frantic effort to save those trapped inside, carrying injured victims to safety as the fire tore through the building. Several of the dead and injured were foreign nationals who had travelled to India for medical treatment a common practice in the capital, where many international patients stay in nearby hotels or rented accommodation.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, announcing financial assistance of 200,000 rupees (USD $2,088) for the families of those killed.
Fires of this scale are tragically common in India, where building safety rules are frequently ignored and enforcement remains weak. Wednesday’s blaze has once again raised urgent questions about fire preparedness and compliance in one of the world’s most densely populated cities.
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