13 foreign nationals died in Malviya Nagar B&B blaze, MEA in touch with embassies & families

Majority of the foreign nationals who died were medical tourists from Africa, Central and West Asia, and one from South Asia.

The site of the fire in Delhi's Malviya Nagar area | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

New Delhi: India Friday confirmed that 13 foreign nationals were among the 21 killed in Wednesday’s fire at a Malviya Nagar B&B, with the Ministry of External Affairs in touch with the embassies as well as local authorities.

“13 foreign nationals have died in the fire. They are from Mozambique (1), Nigeria (4), Liberia (1), Kyrgyzstan (3), Uzbekistan (1), Bangladesh (1), Congo (1) and Iraq (1),” Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said at a press briefing. 

He added: “We are in touch with all their embassies. We are trying to help them in the manner they want. We are intervening with local authorities for all paperwork required and also local hospital authorities. Around 20 to 22 foreign nationals have been injured.” 

The foreigners were all likely medical tourists who had come to India for treatment. The majority of the dead were from Africa while the remaining were from Central and West Asia, and one from South Asia. 

Jaiswal highlighted that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is also extending its support to those injured and undergoing treatment at  various hospitals in New Delhi. 

In the early hours of Wednesday, a fire engulfed Flourish Stays, a Bed and Breakfast (B&B) in Delhi’s Hauz Rani. Police said at least 58 people were rescued from the building. The owner of the building Lovkesh Bajaj has been arrested, while the search continues for Jay Mishra, the account manager in whose name the B&B license was issued, as reported by ThePrint. 

The B&B was located near Max Hospital. Due to the proximity, a number of foreign nationals undergoing treatment there were staying at the B&B along with their caregivers.

As reported by ThePrint, more than 40 people, who were undergoing treatment or recovering from hospitalisation were inside the B&B at the time when the fire broke out.

Located in the narrow lanes of Hauz Rani, the facility did not have a no-objection certificate from the fire department and contained more rooms than permitted. 

The death toll is one of the highest in a fire in New Delhi since at least 2022. The building according to reports had only one entry and exit point. 

(Edited by Shubhanker Tripathi)