At least 21 people were killed and more than 40 rescued after a massive fire ripped through a hotel-cum-guest house in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar on Wednesday morning, with police confirming that more than 15 foreign nationals were among the dead.
As the fire spread rapidly through the multi-storey Flourish Stay B&B, firefighters, police personnel, and disaster response teams launched a massive rescue operation to evacuate those trapped inside. Several occupants reportedly jumped from upper floors as local residents rushed to help those trapped inside.
According to Delhi Police, information about the fire was received at 8.48 am, following which emergency services were deployed to the spot.
Residents describe scenes of panic
Eyewitnesses said the fire spread rapidly, leaving many occupants with little time to escape.
Sher Khan, a local resident, said what initially appeared to be a small fire soon turned into a major disaster.
“I was going to the shop in the morning. There was a small fire here at first, then it kept increasing. As the fire increased, it seemed as if there was no way to escape. People spread mattresses on the ground, and some people from the third floor jumped onto them with a little child. One woman said she had fractured her leg,” he told ANI.
#WATCH | Delhi: A local resident named Sher Khan says, “I was going to the shop in the morning. There was a small fire here at first, then it kept increasing. As the fire increased, it seemed as if there was no way to jump from here. People spread mattresses, and some from the… https://t.co/c8pm6vjoFv pic.twitter.com/cIk4C2E1f1
— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2026
Another resident, Om, said he witnessed several people jumping from the building as flames engulfed the structure.
“At around 9.30 am, we saw a very intense fire here. The entire building was engulfed in flames, and people were jumping from different sides. We saw around five people jumping. One person also broke a leg. The entire road was blocked, and there was a huge crowd,” he said.
‘There was no way out’: Locals recount rescue efforts
Mansoor, who lives opposite the building, said residents rushed to help after hearing cries for help from those trapped inside.
According to him, the building’s electronically operated entrance gate allegedly became inaccessible after the power supply was cut, leaving many occupants stranded on the upper floors as flames spread through the lower levels.
He said local residents broke windowpanes to create escape routes and gathered mattresses from nearby hotels to cushion people jumping from the building.
Several occupants, including foreign nationals staying at the guest house, were rescued with the help of ropes and improvised safety measures arranged by locals, he said.
“People were shouting for help from inside. There was absolutely no way out,” Mansoor said, describing the chaotic rescue effort.
#WATCH | Malviya Nagar fire | A local resident, Mansoor, who lives near the spot where the fire incident happened in Malviya Nagar, describes how he and other locals tried to help those trapped inside the building.
He says, “My house is directly in front… Around 8:00 PM, we… pic.twitter.com/hQhvmZkt8L
— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2026
More than 40 rescued
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal said coordinated efforts by multiple agencies helped save dozens of people.
“Today, at 08:48 AM, information was received regarding a fire at Flourish Stay B&B, Malviya Nagar. Local police staff immediately reached the spot and commenced rescue, evacuation and relief operations,” he said.
The fire was eventually brought under control with the help of eight fire tenders.
Mittal said more than 40 people had been rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.
“It is with profound sorrow that 21 persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident. Rescue and search operations are still underway,” he added.
Foreign patients among those staying at the facility
BJP MLA Satish Upadhyay said many of the occupants were foreign nationals who had travelled to Delhi for medical treatment.
“There were Bangladeshis and people from SAARC countries who came here for medical treatment and stayed in the BnB,” he told ANI.
Upadhyay said 47 people had been rescued from the building and credited local residents, police personnel and emergency responders for preventing an even bigger tragedy.
He added that the cause of the fire would be established only after a detailed investigation.
Authorities are continuing search operations and are expected to investigate the source of the fire, the building’s safety measures and the circumstances that led to the high death toll.