NEW DELHI: What initially appeared to be a routine fire emergency on Wednesday morning soon escalated into one of the national capital’s deadliest hotel fire tragedies in recent years, raising serious questions over fire safety compliance in the city.
As firefighters battled thick smoke and rescued dozens of trapped occupants, preliminary findings pointed to a building design that may have turned the structure into a death trap.
The five-storey building, operating under a bed-and-breakfast (B&B) licence that permitted only six rooms, was allegedly running nearly 25 rooms across the basement, ground floor and upper storeys, officials said. Authorities added that the establishment did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Delhi Fire Services.
The DFS received information about the fire around 8:50 am on Wednesday. Within a minute, seven fire tenders were dispatched to the spot. As the scale of the incident became clear, additional vehicles and personnel were rushed in, taking the total number of fire tenders deployed to 17.
“The first team that reached the site immediately initiated firefighting and search-and-rescue operations. We first evacuated six casualties from the basement. As the fire was gradually brought under control, we continued rescuing people from the upper floors,” A K Malik, chief fire officer, said.
According to officials, the basement and ground floor had two rooms each, while every upper floor had five rooms. Four rooms had also been constructed on the terrace. Two of them were allegedly being used to accommodate guests, while the remaining two served as storage areas.
Officials said the building has been sealed as part of the investigation. They pointed to major structural violations that may have contributed to the high casualty count.
Building sealed for probe
Officials said the building has been sealed as part of the investigation. They pointed to major structural violations that may have contributed to the high casualty count. The front facade was completely covered, leaving no provision for ventilation.
Major fires in city
59 deaths were recorded in the 1997 Uphaar Cinema fire after toxic smoke spread through blocked exits and locked doors during a screening
43 died in 2019 Anaj Mandi factory fire after short circuit triggered blaze in illegally operated, poorly ventilated site
27 died in 2022 Mundka building fire after short circuit triggered blaze in premises lacking fire NOC
Structural risk factors
Electrical faults caused nearly 85% of all fire incidents reported in city
Around 800 factory fires occurred during 2022-23, with most units operating sans safety clearances
Over 7k fires took place in sites operating without valid fire NOCs during 2024-25