17 foreigners among 21 dead in Delhi's Malviya Nagar hotel fire; 8 on ventilator

A devastating fire ripped through a hotel in Delhi's Malviya Nagar, resulting in the deaths of 21 people, a grim toll that included 17 foreign nationals. Officials reported that the victims hailed from countries such as Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique, and Bangladesh, underscoring the international impact of the tragedy.

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Eight patients are on ventilators and undergoing treatment. The majority of them have suffered from asphyxiation injuries, which are caused by smoke inhalation. All of them have minor burns, not deep burns.

In the aftermath, eight survivors are in critical condition, relying on ventilators due to severe smoke inhalation. Doctors noted that while burns were mostly minor, the lack of oxygen proved most dangerous. Some victims suffered fractures after reportedly leaping from upper floors in a desperate attempt to escape the inferno. The injuries sustained were varied, including lung damage, minor burns, and bone fractures, with one patient requiring neurosurgery for a spinal injury.

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These patients basically had two or three types of injuries: lung injuries, minor burns, and bone injuries. Because many patients claimed they jumped from high buildings, the resulting fractures were long bone fractures and pelvic bone fractures.

An initial inspection of the Flourish Stay B&B hotel revealed alarming structural and fire safety deficiencies. The building, comprising a basement, ground floor, and five upper stories, had only a single staircase and an elevator. Critically, the structure was sealed with shut windows, offering no ventilation or escape route for smoke. Fire officials described the building's design as acting like a "chimney," which rapidly funneled smoke and heat to the upper floors, trapping occupants and intensifying the disaster.

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7 vehicles were initially dispatched, along with an Assistant Divisional Officer. However, as calls increased, we increased the number of vehicles and the officers' category. When our team initially arrived, they conducted firefighting and a search operation. We evacuated 39 people from there and transferred them to hospitals.