Overview
- A fire ripped through the five‑storey Florish Stay guesthouse in Malviya Nagar on Wednesday, killing 21 people and sending dozens to hospital while police and firefighters and locals rescued more than 40 occupants.
- Investigators say the fire started in a basement B&B/restaurant and spread rapidly because a locked basement channel gate blocked access and the building had inadequate emergency exits.
- Official records reviewed by reporters show the B&B licence covered six rooms and 18 guests while about 25 rooms were being used, and authorities have registered an FIR and ordered a magisterial inquiry; hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj has been detained for questioning.
- Local residents performed on‑site rescues by laying mattresses and sheets under jumping occupants and giving mouth‑to‑mouth resuscitation, actions that first responders credit with saving multiple lives.
- The tragedy has triggered coordinated safety drives, notably in Uttar Pradesh, where inspections found jammed fire pumps, expired extinguishers and missing NOCs, and Delhi officials have ordered a month‑long check of hotels, lodges and nursing homes that could lead to notices or closures.