At Least 21 Killed as Flames Tear Through Packed Hotel

A horrifying fire at a hotel in New Delhi has killed at least 21 people and left dozens more injured in one of the deadliest blazes the Indian capital has seen in years.

The fire tore through the Flourish Stay bed and breakfast in south Delhi, trapping guests inside as flames and thick black smoke filled the building.

Terrified guests were reportedly seen jumping from the second and third floors as residents on the street below tried to help however they could. Some locals reportedly placed mattresses outside the building so people trapped above could jump to safety.

“People started to jump out of the building from second and third floors,” one local resident told the Press Trust of India.

Authorities said at least 21 people were killed in the tragedy. Among the dead were reportedly 18 foreign nationals from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique and Liberia. Some had traveled to India for medical treatment, according to local reports.

“It is with profound sorrow that 21 persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident,” Delhi police said.

More than 40 people were taken to hospitals for treatment. At least eight of the injured were listed in critical condition, according to one hospital that received several victims.

Indian television footage showed flames shooting from the building as heavy black smoke poured into the sky. Firefighters rushed to the scene along with police and ambulances as crowds gathered nearby.

Local politician Satish Upadhyay said around 47 guests were inside the hotel when the fire broke out.

The blaze was eventually brought under control with the help of eight fire engines, police said. Authorities added that search and rescue operations were continuing and that agencies remained at the scene to assist those affected.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “tragic” in a statement posted by his office on X.

“My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones,” the statement said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.

However, early reports raised questions about the building’s safety. Some local outlets suggested the hotel may have had only one entry and exit door and lacked proper ventilation.

Upadhyay said an investigation would be carried out and anyone found responsible for violating safety rules would face arrest.

“An inquiry will be conducted, and anyone who has broken norms and is responsible will be immediately arrested,” he said.

Electrical short circuits are a frequent cause of deadly fires in India, often linked to poorly maintained wiring, though officials have not yet confirmed what sparked the Flourish Stay blaze.

The disaster comes after several other deadly fires in India. In March, a fire at a government-run hospital in eastern India killed 10 critically ill patients.

Delhi’s last major fire disaster happened in 2019, when 43 factory workers who had been sleeping inside a building in the city’s old quarter were killed.

Now, another tragedy has left families grieving, survivors injured, and officials under pressure to explain how so many people became trapped inside a hotel as flames tore through the building.