Delhi's Malviya Nagar fire kills 21 and triggers safety crackdown
A blaze erupted on June 2‑3, 2026 at the Flourish Stay bed‑and‑breakfast in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar neighbourhood, killing 21 people and injuring dozens. Local residents, including five Muslim men who used mattresses, ropes and improvised tools to rescue trapped guests, were publicly praised by BJP MLA Satish Upadhyay.
The fire exposed alleged licence violations, with investigators saying the property operated as a large commercial hotel under a Bed‑and‑Breakfast licence not intended for such use. Owner Lovekesh Bajaj, previously arrested for facilitating fake Indian identity documents, is now under police scrutiny. Delhi authorities have launched a city‑wide crackdown on unsafe guest houses, sealing properties that breach safety norms.
The incident prompted an exodus of foreign guests from nearby inns, and highlighted Delhi’s broader fire‑safety challenges; official data show 543 fire‑related deaths in the city over the past six years. The government announced compensation for victims’ families and pledged tighter enforcement of building and licensing regulations.