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

NEW DELHI, June 4 (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. 

Here are some details: 

• 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.

(Reporting by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Stephen Coates)