Delhi Fire Tragedy: PM Modi Announces ₹2 Lakh Aid as Malviya Nagar Blaze Claims 21 Lives

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia to the victims' families, and Rs 50 thousand to the injured in the fire incident in Delhi's Malviya Nagar that claimed 21 lives, while expressing grief for the victims' families.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said that an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) will be provided to the next of kin of each deceased, while those injured in the incident will receive Rs 50,000.

"The loss of lives due to a fire incident in Malviya Nagar, Delhi is tragic. My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000," said the 'X' post.

More than 40 individuals were rescued after the massive fire broke out at a hotel-cum-guest house in Delhi. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as flames rapidly engulfed the multi-storey building, forcing several occupants to jump from upper floors in a desperate attempt to save themselves.

A resident, Sher Khan, said the fire initially appeared minor before spreading rapidly across the building.

"I was going to the shop in the morning. There was a small fire here at first, then it kept increasing,” Khan told ANI.

Another local resident, Om, recalled seeing people jumping from the building as the blaze intensified.

"At around 9:30 am, we saw a very intense fire here. My friend and I were on a scooter at that time. The entire building was engulfed in flames and people were jumping from different sides. We saw around five people jumping. One person also broke a leg. The entire road was blocked and there was a huge crowd," he told ANI.

(With inputs from ANI)