At Least 21 Dead in New Delhi Hotel Fire: "Licensed for 6 Rooms, Operated 25"

Fire Originated in Basement Restaurant, Spread Through Five-Story Building
Many Foreign Patients and Their Families Among the Victims

A fire broke out at a small hotel in New Delhi, the capital of India, resulting in at least 21 deaths and injuries to more than 40 people.

On the 3rd (local time), local residents are extinguishing a fire at a hotel in New Delhi, India. Photo by AP Yonhap News Agency

According to local police, at around 8:45 a.m. on June 3 (local time), a fire started in the basement restaurant of the 'Flourish Stay' hotel in the Malviya Nagar area in southern New Delhi. The blaze quickly spread upward through the five-story building.

Police and fire authorities rescued more than 40 people from the scene and transported them to nearby hospitals. Some of the injured are reported to be in critical condition, raising the possibility that the death toll could rise.

Many of the hotel guests were sleeping at the time of the fire. Videos and photos from the scene showed guests hanging from windows or jumping onto mattresses laid out below as thick black smoke billowed from the building.

A significant number of the victims were reportedly foreign nationals and their families from Central Asia and Africa who had come to India for medical treatment. The area near hospitals in southern New Delhi is densely packed with small- and medium-sized accommodations for overseas patients and their guardians. So far, no Korean casualties have been confirmed.

On the 3rd (local time), a fire broke out at a hotel in New Delhi, India, engulfing the entire building in flames. A foreign family is seen hanging from a window, waiting to be rescued. Photo by AP News Agency

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Local authorities believe the fire originated in the basement restaurant of the building and are currently investigating the precise ignition point and how the fire spread.

There are also suspicions of safety regulation violations. The hotel, officially licensed to operate six rooms as a guesthouse-style accommodation, was actually running 25 rooms, according to reports. Investigators are also looking into whether the building entrances and emergency exits were sufficient.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the victims’ families and wished the injured a speedy recovery. The Indian government announced it would provide 200,000 rupees in compensation to each bereaved family and 50,000 rupees to the injured.

Rekha Gupta, Chief Minister of Delhi, stated that the cause of the fire and any potential safety regulation violations would be thoroughly investigated.

Major fires continue to occur in India due to non-compliance with building and fire safety standards as well as electrical short circuits. In December of last year, at least 25 people died in a nightclub fire in Goa, western India.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.