NEW DELHI: As many as 17 foreign nationals were among the 21 people killed in the devastating fire at a hotel in Delhi's Malviya Nagar on Wednesday, with most of the victims reportedly hailing from Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique and Bangladesh, officials said.
Earlier in the day, at least 21 people were killed and more than 40 rescued after a massive fire broke out at Flourish Stay B&B in Malviya Nagar at around 8:48 am. Officials said over 15 foreign nationals were among the deceased.
Addressing a press conference, Max Healthcare Group Medical Director Dr Sandeep Budhiraja said eight patients injured in the fire are currently on ventilator support and remain in critical condition.
"Eight patients are on ventilators and undergoing treatment. The majority of them have suffered from asphyxiation injuries, which are caused by smoke inhalation. All of them have minor burns, not deep burns. One patient had burns of more than 25 per cent. He was on a ventilator, so we shifted him to the burn ward at Safdarjung Hospital. Five patients were stable and came with minor injuries," Budhiraja said.
The doctor further said several patients suffered fractures after reportedly jumping from upper floors to escape the blaze.
"These patients basically had two or three types of injuries: lung injuries, minor burns, and bone injuries. Because many patients claimed they jumped from high buildings, the resulting fractures were long bone fractures and pelvic bone fractures. One patient has a spinal injury and is undergoing neurosurgery," Budhiraja said.
He added that both Indian and foreign nationals were among the victims and said 18 of the deceased included nine men and nine women. (ANI)
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