New Delhi, 03 June (H.S.): At least 21 people were killed and several others injured in the devastating fire that broke out at the Flourish Stay B&B Restaurant in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area on Wednesday morning. Following the incident, Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood and MLA Satish Upadhyay visited the site to assess the situation.

After inspecting the scene, Ashish Sood said the building had been completely gutted by the fire. He stated that concerned officials were collecting all relevant documents to determine whether the establishment possessed a valid No Objection Certificate (NOC), whether the required permissions had been obtained for operating the hotel and restaurant, and whether the rooms being run as a bed-and-breakfast facility had received the necessary approvals.

Sood said that the building owner and any individuals found responsible for negligence would be identified through a police investigation and would face strict legal action, including arrest. He added that police teams had already been deployed to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident.

The minister further stated that, under the supervision of the District Magistrate, all concerned agencies—including the Municipal Corporation, Fire Department, Electricity Department, and Water Department—had been directed to carry out extensive inspections throughout the area. He emphasized that no building violating safety or regulatory standards would be spared, and immediate action would be taken wherever violations were detected.

He said the government was examining whether the building had obtained all mandatory NOCs and permissions required for B&B operations. Strict action would be initiated against any illegal construction and against all individuals found guilty during the investigation.

Reacting to the tragedy, BJP leader Dinesh Sharma said that both the Central and Delhi governments had taken cognizance of the incident and that a serious investigation was underway.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari described the incident as extremely unfortunate. He said preliminary information indicated that the massive fire had originated in the hotel's restaurant section. Referring to the loss of 21 lives, he said the exact circumstances leading to the fatalities would be determined through the ongoing investigation. He also noted that the government was continuously working to address systemic shortcomings and strengthen safety standards to prevent such tragedies in the future.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar