Family of eight wiped out in devastating fire

The devastating fire that tore through Flourish Stay B&B in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar on Wednesday morning wiped out a family, with eight of its members among the 21 people killed in one of the capital’s deadliest hotel fires in recent years.

The deceased family members were identified as Vivek Agarwal, his wife Tarjani, their two daughters, Vivek’s mother Premlata, his uncle Ashok Goyal, aunt Kamala Goyal and another relative, Jhimri Agarwal. Family members said they had checked into the hotel only a day or two earlier.

A relative told The Pioneer that the family had rented two rooms at the establishment to avoid the daily commute between Gurugram and Delhi while attending to medical needs in the city.

“They had taken two rooms in the last one or two days to beat the Gurugram-Delhi distance,” the relative said. The family was allegedly in the hotel’s basement area when the fire broke out and rapidly spread through the building, trapping occupants amid thick smoke.

The tragedy has left behind Radheshyam Agarwal, Vivek’s father, who was already admitted to Max Hospital in Saket for treatment of a lung-related ailment.

Among those who survived was Vishal, a resident of Bihar, who sustained injuries after jumping from the building in a desperate bid to escape the flames. He was undergoing treatment at Max Hospital and was staying at the hotel. As a part of his treatment, doctors advised physiotherapy on alternate days.

Speaking to The Pioneer, Vishal’s brother said he had been staying at the hotel when the fire erupted.

“He suffered injuries, and a fracture has been referred to Max Hospital,” he said.

The fire, which broke out at the five-storey guest house in the congested Hauz Rani area, killed at least 21 people, including 17 foreign nationals, and left several others critically injured. Firefighters, police personnel and residents rescued more than 40 occupants during a frantic rescue operation.

Police have registered an FIR under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and are investigating alleged safety violations at the property. The owner, Lavkesh Bajaj, remains at large, while authorities probe allegations that the establishment was operating far beyond its sanctioned capacity and housing guests in unauthorised basement accommodation.

What began as a temporary stay near a hospital to attend to their ailing father ended in a tragedy that erased a family within minutes.