Delhi hotel fire in Malviya Nagar kills 21; Gurugram neighbours mourn Agarwal family

A hotel fire in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area killed 21 people, including eight members of chartered accountant Vivek Agarwal’s extended family. In Gurugram’s Sector 46, neighbours described shock and grief as the family home remained closed. The victims included Agarwal, his wife Tarjini, his mother, and their two daughters.

Neighbours in Gurugram stood in silence outside the locked home of chartered accountant Vivek Agarwal. The house in Sector 46 was empty on Wednesday after a fire killed eight relatives. The deaths happened at the Flourish Stay B&B in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area. Officials said the blaze left 21 people dead.

The Delhi fire began around 8.30 am and spread fast through a narrow five-floor building. Officials said it had one entry-exit point, sealed windows, and a sensor-operated main door. At least 58 people were rescued and taken to hospitals. Officials said 21 were declared dead, including 12 foreigners.

Delhi hotel fire safety questions in Malviya Nagar

Relatives said the Flourish Stay B&B was in a congested lane off the main road. They questioned the fire safety at the site. They said there was no proper escape plan during the emergency. "The lane is extremely narrow, and there was no proper fire escape arrangement. We still dont know what caused the fire,\" Gupta said.

The fire hit as Radhe Shyam Agarwal, Vivek Agarwal’s father, received treatment at Max Hospital nearby. Relatives said Vivek Agarwal booked two rooms for family members visiting the hospital. Another relative said Jivisa returned from Bangalore a day earlier. Jivisa had come to see the hospitalised grandfather, relatives said.

Delhi hotel fire victims include Vivek Agarwal family

Family members who died included Vivek Agarwal, 48, and Tarjini, 47, neighbours said. The victims also included Prem Lata, and daughters Jivisa and Variya. Relatives said Ashok and Kamla Goel, from Rajasthan’s Kishangarh, also died. Another relative named Jhumri Lal Goel was also among those killed.

With eight deaths, Radhe Shyam is the only survivor in Vivek Agarwal’s immediate family. Prem Bansal, Vivek Agarwal’s father-in-law in Mahavir Enclave, listed who was there. \"They sustained severe burn injuries and lost their lives,\" Prem Bansal said. Prem Bansal said Vivek Agarwal’s mother, wife, daughters, and uncles were present.

In Sector 46, neighbours gathered near the deserted residence and spoke in shock. Vivek Agarwal worked as a CA with a private company, they said. Tarjini ran an NGO, neighbours added. \"We have been told that the bodies will arrive tomorrow after post-mortem. We are all shocked,\" Yogender Singh said.

Another neighbour, Dhull, said the deaths were hard to accept for the street. \"None of us can believe that the entire family got killed in the fire. Vivek was a good-natured man, and the family was on friendly terms with everyone in the neighbourhood,\" Dhull said. A tenant on the first floor refused to speak to media.

Puneet Gupta, a relative, described a call during the incident. \"brother, maybe we wont survive.\" Gupta said. \"I told him to wet a handkerchief and cover his face with it but even that was of no help. Now he is gone,\" Gupta said. \"By the time we reached there, they were all dead.\"

Another relative said the family rushed towards Max Hospital after a call from a cousin. The relative said the severity became clear only later. \"We were unable to recognise them just by looking at their pictures. Everyone was severely burnt,\" the relative said. Officials said the building allegedly operated without a fire NOC.

With inputs from PTI