Delhi Police Identify Nine Foreign Nationals Killed in Hotel Fire
NEW DELHI — Delhi Police have identified nine of the 12 foreign nationals killed in a fire at Hotel Flourish Stays in Malviya Nagar, officials said Thursday.
Twenty-one people died in the fire, including nine Indians and 12 foreign nationals from countries including Bangladesh, Liberia, Nigeria and Mozambique. Authorities said identification of the foreign nationals was based on passports recovered from the scene.
Police have sent a list of the foreign nationals to the Ministry of External Affairs to assist with the repatriation of their bodies. DNA profiling has been completed for all the foreign nationals after permission was received from their respective embassies, officials said.
Post-mortem examinations were also conducted with authorization from the embassies.
According to Delhi Fire Services, the blaze damaged the basement, ground floor and five upper floors of the building. The fire broke out in the early morning hours and spread through several levels of the multi-story property.
Rescue teams evacuated 47 people from the building. Twenty-six injured people remain under treatment at hospitals across the city.
Delhi Police have arrested Lavkesh Bajaj, the owner of the hotel building where the fire broke out Wednesday. Bajaj was taken into custody hours after authorities began searching for him and his wife. A Look Out Circular had earlier been issued against them.
Investigators are examining alleged safety violations, regulatory lapses and possible negligence that may have contributed to the scale of the tragedy. Authorities are also reviewing whether mandatory fire safety measures were in place and whether the property was operating in compliance with legal requirements.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi, which is governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, has said strict action will be taken against those found responsible. Officials said action is expected within a week of the report’s submission.
Police have registered a case under provisions related to culpable homicide and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigators are focusing on whether serious negligence and safety violations played a role in the high casualty count. (Source: IANS)
