Delhi hotel fire: Most occupants were medical tourists from Central Asia, Africa

Located close to one of premier medical facilities of Delhi, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, Flourish Stay Bed and Breakfast was occupied largely by international patients undergoing treatment, along with their relatives and attendants.

The fire reportedly broke out around 8:50 am, reportedly from the B&B’s restaurant in the basement of the five-storey building. Kesar Singh, a chef at the establishment, described the harrowing experience. “When I tried to light the electric stove, a fire suddenly broke out. But I quickly found out that the fire was already burning elsewhere in the hotel. I immediately told my assistant that the building was on fire. When I managed to get out, I saw that the entire place was ablaze. I somehow managed to make it out alive.”

As the fire spread, the building became a chimney for thick, suffocating smoke, trapped by poor ventilation and a lack of alternative escape routes. The situation escalated so quickly that the inferno began to spread to an adjacent property, Micasa Inn, compounding the danger. Dramatic visuals from the scene showed massive plumes of black smoke and towering flames engulfing the structures, with desperate guests trapped on the upper storeys.

Emergency services responded swiftly to the distress call, dispatching emergency response teams, including two water engines, two water bowsers, a quick-response vehicle and multiple specialist firefighting units, to the cramped location. Navigating the narrow streets, firefighters and rescue teams managed to pull more than 40 people from the smoke-filled building and rushed the injured to nearby hospitals.

While a formal investigation is underway, authorities are probing severe regulatory and structural failures. Early findings suggest the hotel was operating grossly over the prescribed capacity, having approval for only six rooms under the official tourism scheme, while actually running over 24. Moreover, the property reportedly relied on just a single entry and exit point. A definitive cause of the initial blaze has yet to be officially ascertained as forensic and fire safety teams continue to clear the wreckage.

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According to media reports, one of the three owners of the B&B as Lokesh Bajaj. Officials have said that the establishment was functioning on the premises of another hotel, Micasa Hotels.