India – New Delhi: Questions continue to mount over the devastating fire at the five-storey Flourish Stay hotel in South Delhi’s Hauz Rani area of Malviya Nagar, where at least 21 people lost their lives. While authorities have launched multiple investigations into the tragedy, grieving families spent Thursday searching hospitals and mortuaries for their loved ones.
According to the latest information, around 13 bodies have been sent to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for post-mortem examination. The death toll continued to rise till Wednesday evening, with several victims belonging to three families.
The deceased also includes foreign nationals, particularly from Nigeria, who had come to Delhi for personal work or to accompany relatives undergoing treatment at nearby hospitals.
Families Search For Loved Ones
Hours after the fire, many relatives were still struggling to determine where the bodies of the victims had been taken. Several Nigerian nationals reached the AIIMS mortuary on Wednesday evening carrying identity documents and photographs of missing relatives.
Among those being searched for were 39-year-old Okele and 36-year-old Ikeazu. A friend of the victims said they all belonged to the same village in Nigeria and had known each other for years.
“We have been searching for them since morning. We first went to the hotel and showed them the photographs, but nobody could tell us anything. Later, we learned that some of the bodies had been brought to the AIIMS mortuary,” he said.
The friend also said a video circulating on social media appeared to show another Nigerian national, Ndubuisi, being rescued unconscious from the burning building. However, his condition remains unclear.
Police officials said one Nigerian national injured in the fire has been admitted to Safdarjung Hospital.
The tragedy also claimed the life of Vivek, a resident of Rajasthan’s Ajmer district. Up to seven of his family and relatives are also feared to have died from suffocation. Family members expressed anguish over the incident and questioned the emergency response.
One relative claimed he remained with Vivek after he was rescued, and tried to keep him alive while he was being shifted to AIIMS, but he succumbed to his injuries before reaching the hospital.
Several other people were seen arriving at the AIIMS mortuary in search of their relatives. Many appeared visibly distressed and angry, but declined to speak to the media.
Police Probe Fire Safety Violations, Illegal Construction
Meanwhile, Crime Branch officials of the Delhi Police, along with forensic experts, continued their investigation at the gutted hotel building on Thursday. The area remained cordoned off as investigators reconstructed the sequence of events leading to the tragedy and collected evidence from the site.
Police said locals, shopkeepers, hotel staff and other witnesses are also being questioned as part of the investigation. Officials said they are examining all aspects of the incident, including alleged building norm violations, fire safety lapses, illegal construction and factors that may have contributed to the high death toll.
According to police, hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj has been arrested and booked under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, offences related to fire, property damage and negligence that endangered human life and safety.
Preliminary findings suggest the establishment had permission to operate only six rooms but was allegedly running around 25 rooms, including some in the basement. Officials are also verifying reports that additional floors were constructed without approval and that the building lacked the mandatory fire No Objection Certificate (NOC). Investigators are examining whether the absence of the fire NOC and alleged unauthorised construction contributed to the scale of the tragedy.
Police are also probing allegations that sealed windows, a single entry-exit point and a sensor-operated main door may have hampered evacuation efforts during the blaze.
