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Published : 04 Jun 2026, 10:45 PM
In the early hours of Wednesday, a fire swept through a small hotel in New Delhi. By the time the flames were brought under control, 21 people, including 12 foreign nationals, were dead.
Among the most harrowing discoveries was a couple found inside a locked bathroom, embracing each other in their final moments as smoke filled the building, reports NDTV.
Rescuers said the pair had likely taken shelter in the confined space in a desperate attempt to survive the blaze.
“They did not die of fire. They died of smoke,” said Mohammad Shoaib, who was among those who entered the building to help rescue trapped guests.
Shoaib said the bathroom door had to be forced open.
Attempts were made to revive them through CPR, but both were declared dead. Their bodies, rescuers said, had turned dark from inhaling smoke.
In another room, a couple was found sitting on the edge of their bed, burnt to death.
Rescuers described chaotic and dangerous conditions inside the hotel, with thick smoke, limited visibility, and damaged flooring slowing evacuation efforts.
Mohammad Afzal Khan, another rescuer, said the building had no emergency exit and a centrally placed staircase made escaping difficult as the fire spread.
Ashraf Khan, a healthcare worker who joined the rescue effort, said the basement had taken the worst impact of the blaze, with multiple bodies recovered from the area.
“I found a man on a wheelchair, who was also burnt to death,” he recalled.
Outside, residents rushed in to help, breaking windows and placing mattresses on the ground to help trapped guests jump to safety.
One local reportedly spent around Rs 200,000 to aid the rescue effort, says NDTV.
Officials said 17 fire engines were deployed and at least 58 people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals.
Preliminary findings suggest the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit in the basement before spreading rapidly through the building, the NDTV report read.
Investigators are examining alleged violations of fire safety rules, including the absence of a fire NOC, a single entry and exit point, sealed windows, and excess occupancy.
