Delhi to crack down on fire safety violations after blaze that killed 21

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Police officers stand at the site a day after a fire at a hotel in New Delhi, India, on June 4, 2026. — Reuters
Police officers stand at the site a day after a fire at a hotel in New Delhi, India, on June 4, 2026. — Reuters

The Delhi government will launch a crackdown on properties violating fire safety norms after a fire at a hotel in the capital city killed 21 people on Wednesday, including 12 foreign nationals, the chief minister’s office said.

The blaze — the deadliest the city ​has seen since 2022 — broke out at ⁠a hotel in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, which media ​said was popular among patients being treated at ​a hospital nearby and their relatives.

A criminal case has been lodged and the owner of the building has ​been arrested, police said.

A city-wide crackdown will be ​undertaken against all guest houses and other establishments operating in ‌violation ⁠of fire safety norms and building by-laws, the chief minister’s office said in a post on X late on Wednesday.

Non-compliant premises will be ​sealed and those ​responsible prosecuted, ⁠it said.

The foreign nationals killed in the incident included people from ​Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique and Liberia, according to ​media ⁠reports.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the information.

India’s foreign ministry is in touch with the ⁠embassies ​concerned and is extending all ​necessary assistance, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in a post on ​X.

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