At least 21 persons lost their lives in a major fire that broke out in a multi-storey building in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area on Wednesday.According to officials, 47 people were rescued during the emergency response operation.Several of those who died were reported to be foreign nationals from African countries.

Fire services responded quickly and managed to bring the blaze under control, although the exact cause of the fire had not been determined at the time of reporting.Preliminary inquiries suggested that the building was not primarily residential.

Authorities indicated that many of the occupants were staying there while accompanying relatives or acquaintances receiving treatment at the nearby MAX Hospital.Some individuals were also rescued from the basement area of a restaurant operating within the building.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that teams from the Delhi Fire Service, Delhi Police and the Delhi Disaster Management Authority were mobilised immediately and carried out rescue and evacuation efforts.The Delhi government said it was closely monitoring the situation.Police registered a First Information Report and invoked charges including culpable homicide as part of the investigation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the families of the victims and announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of those who died and Rs 50,000 for those injured.

In the aftermath of the incident, Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood ordered strict action against bed-and-breakfast establishments found violating approved building plans or safety guidelines.

He also directed the formation of a high-level committee to inspect lodging establishments across the city and review compliance with safety regulations.