Delhi Police files culpable homicide FIR in Malviya Nagar hotel blaze

The Delhi Police has filed an FIR under charges of culpable homicide in the hotel fire tragedy in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar that killed at least 21 people on Wednesday, officials said.

A massive fire tore through a bed-and-breakfast being operated in a five-storey building in the south Delhi locality early Wednesday.

A police source said that a team was immediately dispatched to the house of the hotel owner who is absconding. "Teams have visited the house of the hotel owner. An FIR has been registered against the owner. Teams are trying to arrest him. Multiple teams are searching for him," said the police source.

Many of the deceased were foreign nationals, mainly from Central Asian and African countries. Several injured were rushed to hospitals. Those rescued include the relatives of the patients who are being treated at a nearby private hospital.

The blaze erupted at the Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani, a congested locality in Malviya Nagar. According to police sources, it was early morning when the chef arrived at the ground floor eatery and switched on the setup before starting his work.

Shortly after, a blast-like sound was heard, and within minutes the entire building was swept in flames, trapping several guests on the upper floors. A police source said the building had 26 rooms, though the exact number is still being verified.

A foreign couple trapped on the fourth floor broke a windowpane and an aluminium grill and tried to climb down using a pipe. Both fell. Overhead wires broke the woman's fall, even though she landed headfirst to the ground. The two were rushed to a hospital in a critical state. It was not yet known whether they survived.

The building has a basement, ground floor and five upper floors, according to fire officers. The restaurant was being operated on the ground floor, while the rest of the building was being used as a hotel.

According to police sources, the hotel had only one entry-exit. The fire NOC is under scanner, they said.