Malviya Nagar fire LIVE: BnB had permission for 6 rooms, was operating 24 - Report

Malviya Nagar Fire LIVE Updates: A massive fire swept through a restaurant in Malviya Nagar of Delhi has killed as many as 21 persons. Officials have said that of the 21 dead, many are foreigners. The fire broke out around 9:30 am in the morning and fire services was informed. Track Malviya Nagar Fire LIVE Updates. As soon as the fire services reached the location, they evacuated many from the basement of the restaurant. Authorities had earlier confirmed 10 deaths, but the toll steadily increased over time. The death count has now risen to 18. Earlier, the Delhi Police had informed that 11 people were rescued from the incident spot by the Delhi Fire Service personnel and were admitted to the hospital for treatment. MALVIYA NAGAR FIRE LIVE UPDATES: 7: 40 pm: Delhi CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal tweets, "I pray to God for peace to souls of those who lost their lives in the horrific fire in Malviya Nagar, Delhi..." 7: 10 pm: EAM Jaishankar expressed his “deepest condolences” at the loss of lives, including foreign nationals, in the tragic fire incident in Malviya Nagar, New Delhi. “Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.” “MEA is in touch with Embassies and is extending all necessary assistance,” he said. 6:40 pm: ‘Terrible tragedy…’: BJP MP promises strict action BJP MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri called it a “terrible tragedy” and expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased. “The Delhi Government has ordered an inquiry into the incident. The inquiry report will be released in due course. Those found guilty must face the strictest possible punishment,” he told ANI. “We must identify the MCD officials who were posted in that area at the time of its construction and hold them accountable for their negligence...” 6:20 pm 5:50 pm: According to a PTI report, citing sources, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu will chair a high-level meeting later in the evening with all concerned authorities to review the incident. 5:20 pm: 8 patients still on ventilator — Max Hospital Max Healthcare Group Medical Director Dr Sandeep Budhiraja said eight patients injured in the fire are currently on ventilator support and remain in critical condition. "Eight patients are on ventilators and undergoing treatment. The majority of them have suffered from asphyxiation injuries, which are caused by smoke inhalation. All of them have minor burns, not deep burns. One patient had burns of more than 25 per cent. He was on a ventilator, so we shifted him to the burn ward at Safdarjung Hospital. Five patients were stable and came with minor injuries," Budhiraja said. 4:50 pm: 17 foreigners among 21 dead Seventeen foreign nationals were among the 21 people killed in the devastating fire at a hotel in Delhi's Malviya Nagar on Wednesday, with most of the victims reportedly hailing from Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique and Bangladesh, officials said. 4:20 pm: Visuals from the area -- with narrow lanes, overhanging wires and cramped buildings haphazardly sharing space -- showed high flames rising in the air and wires twisted out of shape in the heat hanging precariously. Glass lay shattered all around the smoke charred building. 3:50 pm: Among the casualties were foreign nationals, many from Central Asian and African countries, staying in the hotel in to attend to their kin admitted in Max Hospital minutes away. 3:20 pm: It was a tragedy that was perhaps waiting to happen — officials said the hotel had only one entry-exit. The fire NOC is under the scanner. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. 2:50 pm: Eatery had approval for 6 rooms, was operating 24 A bed-and-breakfast (B&B) in Malviya Nagar was allegedly operating far beyond its permitted capacity. Officials said that the establishment was running 24 rooms despite having approval for only six. The Delhi Tourism department had granted permission for only six rooms at the property under the bed-and-breakfast scheme. However, the establishment was allegedly operating 24 rooms. Online booking platforms also showed 24 rooms available for reservation. 2:30 pm: Delhi Minister Ashish Sood said strict action would be taken against those responsible for the Malviya Nagar fire incident. "The building owner who is responsible for negligence will be arrested. We will not spare any illegal building, and those found guilty," Sood said. "The guilty will not be spared. We are probing whether or not the building obtained NOC. We are finding out if the required permission to run BnB was obtained or not." 2:10 pm: Saurabh Bharadwaj launched a sharp attack on the Delhi government, alleging systemic failures in fire response and accountability after the Malviya Nagar fire that claimed 21 lives. “The government should fix its own responsibility. Don't blame these poor people. The government should say our fire brigade arrived late, we are sorry, our preparation was not there,” he said. 1.50 pm: Max Hospital, Saket Complex, in its official statement said, “Following a cylin