Delhi CM Pledges Tough Action Post-Malviya Nagar Fire Tragedy

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has mandated strict measures against officials involved in fire safety and construction violations, following a fatal fire in Malviya Nagar. The incident resulted in 21 deaths, including 17 foreigners. Stricter enforcement and financial penalties for responsible officials are being pursued.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta issued a stern warning on Friday against officials found culpable of fire safety oversights, illegal constructions, and other violations threatening lives, following this week's tragic fire in Malviya Nagar. The Chief Minister's Office affirmed that laws are being rigorously enforced, including a maximum two-year jail term and hefty fines for offenders.

Gupta also highlighted laws facilitating the recovery of losses from the salaries, pensions, or properties of guilty officials. A high-level meeting earlier today concluded with decisions to further tighten these regulations. Her comments followed the catastrophic blaze at a bed-and-breakfast in South Delhi's Malviya Nagar, which claimed at least 21 lives, including 17 foreigners, and injured numerous others.

Investigators have uncovered significant safety breaches and failures in the building's fire safety systems, with windows and glass panels sealed, preventing smoke ventilation. The basement entrance, locked internally, hindered rescue operations that took over 10 minutes to commence, with six to seven occupants eventually rescued.

Concurrently, 15 people are receiving treatment at Max Hospital in Saket, with 13 being international patients and six on ventilator support. The hospital reported that all ventilated patients are stable and showing improvement, while nine others are cared for in the ICU and wards, with overall patient conditions remaining stable.