Room permit, closed exit: How safety gaps sparked another Delhi tragedy in BnB blaze, killing 21

AN betimes morning time discharge on wed in brandish Stay, a bed-and-breakfast in Hauz Rani, south Delhi, killed at least 21 people, including 12 foreign nationals, with significant violations by the establishment highlighting the lax regulatory and monitoring regime in the Capital only four days after the collapse of an illegal building in adjacent Saidulajab killed six people.Most of the victims of the fire, one of Delhi's worst in years, were either people visiting India for their medical treatment or caregivers of patients who found it convenient to stay in the bed-and-breakfast (B&B), one of many in Hauz Rani, which is close to one the city's biggest private hospitals. The crowded area made it difficult for fire tenders to reach the spot. The tragedy was exacerbated by the B&B - which charged people between ₹2,000 and ₹3,600 a night for a room - not having a fire exit, and operating 26 rooms instead of the allowed six. Police registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and the owner of the BnB, Lavkesh Bajaj, a resident of neighbouring Saket, has been arrested. In addition to the dead, at least 26 people, including some first responders were injured. Many residents of the five-storey BnB - which was operating four rooms in the basement, two on the roof, five each on four floors, and a kitchen and restaurant on the ground floor - jumped to save themselves.Police said that of the 21 who died, 16 had been identified. Investigators and officials revealed the names of only 14 of them. The death toll may rise, said hospital officials, even as officials in the ministry of external affairs said 18 foreign nationals died in the blaze.Details of what caused the fire are not clear but police say their initial investigations suggest it started in the restaurant on the ground floor at around 8.30am.Deputy commissioner of police (south) Anant Mittal said that the police control room received a call at 8.48am. "Local police staff immediately reached the spot and commenced rescue, evacuation, and relief operations," he said. By 12.12pm, he said that the fire was extinguished and the rescue operation concluded. "A total of 47 persons were shifted to nearby hospitals for medical treatment, and 21 of them were declared dead."Of the victims whose identities were revealed, nine were Indians - Shrutika Barnwal, Tarjani Aggarwal, Varya Aggarwal, Jhaveri Aggarwal, Vivek Aggarwal, Ashok Aggarwal, Kamla Aggarwal, Premlata Aggarwal and Jivisha Aggarwal - and five were foreign nationals - Roland (Liberia), Tshipambaachil (Mozambique), Tulkinov Khpumeium, Makhpirat Khon Kochkaroua and Sita Beatrice (Democratic Republic of Congo).Violations galoreThe police said the B&B had permission to have six rooms, three rooms on the first floor and three on the second, but was operating at least 25 rooms across five storeys, a basement, and the roof.HT's reporters found that the front façade of the B&B was covered, possibly using panels and toughened glass, and there was only one main entry and exit, with another entry and exit for the basement. The fire department said the entry and exit to the basement were closed. One side of the B&B had windows from which some guests jumped to save themselves.Mohammed Riyazuddin, 61, who runs a mattress shop, said the stairwell was filled with smoke by the time he and his son rushed to the hotel. "We laid mattresses on the ground and asked them (the residents) to jump". A group of men from Hauz Rani village also helped the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) in the rescue operation. Waseem Raja, 34, who works at Max Hospital in Saket, said that as the fire broke out, he and his friends reached the spot and helped DFS personnel bring people out from the B&B. "We realised that people couldn't come down because of the smoke, and many got stuck because the digital locks in the rooms didn't open, leaving them trapped inside. I called the team at Max Hospital. They came with a doctor and ambulances shortly after I informed them. We went inside the hotel, checked each floor, and brought people down one by one. Many were dead," he said.Another tragedyWednesday's fire is the latest of infernos that have shaken the national capital and triggered questions over weak regulation, lethargic enforcement and questionable fire safety rules. Exactly a month ago, a fire ripped through a residential building in Vivek Vihar, killing nine people. On March 18, a fire in a Palam building also killed nine people. In May 2024, seven newborns died after a blaze at the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital in Vivek Vihar. In February that year, 11 were killed after an inferno consumed a paint factory in Alipur.In May 2022, in one of Delhi's largest ever fires, 27 people were killed and dozens injured after flames enveloped a commercial building in Mundka.The recurrence of such accidents has renewed concerns about enforcement of fire safety norms and the effectiveness of inspections carried out by civic authorities and other agencies.It raised questions about the wisdom of two recent Delhi government policies - one on bed and breakfasts and a second on fire safety - that propose a more relaxed regime for certification.On May 27, the government proposed a new fire safety framework, under which building owners can obtain fire clearances through private fire auditors - they will be empaneled, said the policy - rather than relying solely on inspections by Delhi Fire Service (DFS). The government argued that the move will reduce delays, improve efficiency and bring professional expertise into the certification process. But experts said the push can compromise independence of the mechanism.Last week, the government also announced the draft Bed & Breakfast Policy 2026, proposing a self-certification regime for homestays and small accommodation units. The draft allows residential properties with up to eight rooms and 16 beds to operate as B&B units, introduces online registration and self-certification, and seeks to bring informal hospitality operators into the regulatory fold.In contrast, the 2007 Bed and Breakfast framework relied more heavily on inspections and departmental scrutiny before approvals. According to the policy, only two-thirds of the property could be sublet, and the owner was required to live on the same property. In the event of any suspicion of violations, the tourism department may inspect premises at any time.To be sure, those inspections amounted to nought in the case of the Hauz Rani homestay.The lives lostAmong the victims was Vivek Aggarwal, who died along with seven of his family. Aggarwal lived in Gurugram, and his father was admitted to Max Hospital for a serious lung condition. He had rented a few rooms at the B&B to avoid daily travel and relatives visiting his father were also at the hotel hen the fire broke out."Vivek called me from the basement. He said he was trapped and that I should send someone to rescue him. He was on the fourth floor and rushed down but could not exit the building, so he went to the basement. I was already outside when the fire officials pulled him out. We tried to give him CPR, but he already seemed to not be breathing. We have lost eight people in our family today. Some had reached only this morning, just to meet their death. We are devastated," said Aggarwal's cousin, Vikram Aggarwal.A police officer, who asked not to be named, said that Bajaj's initial interrogations revealed that he was informed about the fire around 8.50am, after which he reached there and stayed for nearly half an hour, before leaving as guest began to be brought out from the building.According to officials aware of the matter, the other foreign nationals who died in the incident were from Nigeria, Bangladesh, Somalia and Afghanistan. The injured include 10 personnel from the Delhi Police and five foreign nationals. At least nine people are critical, officials said.External affairs minister S Jaishankar said the ministry is in touch with embassies and extending all necessary assistance.Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on Xthat an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh would be given to the next of kin of the deceased. "My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected. An ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given ₹50,000," he wrote.Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta asked the south Delhi district magistrate to submit a report in the matter within three days.