Sood visits Malviya Nagar fire site

Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood on Wednesday conducted an on-site inspection of the Malviya Nagar fire site and ordered an immediate city-wide enforcement drive against illegally operated and non-compliant guest houses functioning under the Bed and Breakfast scheme.

The Minister directed District Magistrates, MCD Deputy Commissioners, Delhi Fire Services, and the Power Department to begin comprehensive physical inspections of all registered and suspected B&B establishments across Delhi.

Sood visited the site along with senior officials of Delhi Fire Services, the district administration, police, and civic agencies to review rescue operations and assess the circumstances that led to the deaths of 21 people, including several foreign nationals, in the fire that broke out at the Flourish Stay facility in Hauz Rani.

Preliminary investigations, the minister said, revealed serious violations, including unauthorised commercial expansion, illegal addition of rooms, obstruction of evacuation routes, and misuse of permissions granted under the Bed and Breakfast policy.