At least 21 people have died, and several others are injured after a fire swept through a hotel in New Delhi on Wednesday morning.

The deadly inferno broke out at the Flourish Stay hotel in the Indian city’s southern Malviya Nagar neighbourhood.

Out of the 21 people killed, 17 were foreign nationals from Liberia, Nigeria, Mozambique and Bangladesh who had travelled to India for medical treatment, Indian news outlet NDTV reported.

Several people jumped out of the burning building to escape the flames, witnesses said, with residents dragging mattresses from a nearby shop to try to break their fall.

The blaze was extinguished with the help of eight fire engines, and more than 40 people were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals, Delhi police said in a statement.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

Images from the scene showed firefighters trying to douse the blaze as thick smoke billowed from the building.

Footage from the scene showed terrified hotel guests jumping out of the burning building as it became engulfed by flames.

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Local people attempt to douse a fire at a hotel in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 3, 2026

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A family of foreign nationals hangs from a hotel window as fire engulfs the building in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 3, 2026

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Firefighters at the scene of the fire as they try to douse the blaze

Other videos showed the building on fire, as smoke billowed out and charred the exterior while panicked locals watched from a narrow lane nearby.

Residents also joined rescue efforts, helping evacuate people trapped inside and carrying some of the injured to safety.

An eyewitness told NDTV: ‘I saw four to six people breaking the glass and jumping from the building to escape the fire. One person’s leg appeared to have been broken after the fall.’

The fire broke out in the hotel a little before 9am, police said in a statement, and the flames were extinguished around midday.

‘Through the coordinated efforts of police, fire services, and other emergency responders, ​more than 40 persons ​have been rescued and ⁠shifted to nearby hospitals for medical treatment,’ police said.

‘It is with profound sorrow that 21 persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident,’ the statement added.

Some 10 police officers were also injured as they attempted to help people out of the burning building.

A spokesperson at the state-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences ​told Reuters ⁠the hospital had received 13 patients, two of whom were critical.

The Flourish Stay hotel, which is located in the basement of a five-storey building, comprises of around 25 rooms, and was reportedly hosting 40 guests – most of whom were sleeping when the fire broke out, NDTV reported.

The fire is understood to have later spread to the nextdoor Micasa Inn hotel.

‘There was reportedly a restaurant operating on the ground floor of the building … it is most likely ​that the fire ​was ⁠connected to that restaurant,’ local administration official Jitendra Kumar told reporters.

The Flourish Stay hotel had been granted a licence by the Delhi government as a Bed and Breakfast, NDTV reported, citing sources.

This means only six rooms were authorised, but the hotel was allegedly operating 25 rooms.

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The inferno broke out at a hotel in the Indian city’s southern Malviya Nagar neighbourhood

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Local people rescue a foreign national from a hotel fire in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 3, 2026

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A foreign national is rescued from the burning building in New Delhi on Wednesday, June 3, 2026

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The blaze was extinguished with the help of eight fire engines

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Fires are common in India , where building laws and safety norms are often flouted by builders and residents

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The fire is said to be one of the worst such incidents in the Indian capital in recent years

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Locals and bystanders watch as hotel fire as firefighters work to douse the flames in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 3, 2026

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A young girl reacts after being rescued from a hotel fire in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 3, 2026

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A man is seen at the window of the burning building

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Video grab shows a local resident waiting by the burning hotel as guests jumped out of windows to safety

The hotel also only had one entry and exit point, according to reports.

The owner of Flourish Stay, named locally as Lovkesh Bajaj, is currently on the run, according to local media.

Kesar Singh, a chef at the restaurant attached to the hotel, told NDTV the fire broke out at around 8am after he attempted to switch on an electric stove.

He recounted how flames suddenly flared up, and soon after, the fire engulfed the hotel.

‘I immediately alerted my assistant that the hotel was on fire,’ he said.

‘When I stepped outside, I saw that the entire hotel was on fire. I somehow managed to escape,’ Negi said.

The fire is said to be one of the worst such incidents in the Indian capital in recent years.

Grief-stricken relatives of the victims later crowded into the waiting area of Max Hospital, anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones.

‘We can’t recognise them by looking at pictures; it’s unrecognisable. Everyone is severely burnt,’ the relative of one of the victims said.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an X post the loss of lives in the fire was ‘tragic’, writing: ‘My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injuries.

‘Authorities are providing all possible assitance to those affected,’ he added.

He also said that the families of those killed would receive 200,000 rupees (£1,500) each in financial assistance.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said she was ‘deeply saddened’ by the loss of lives.

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Fire fighters tend to a foreing national who was rescued from the burning hotel

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Locals and bystanders run for cover as a hotel fire spreads following electrical sparks in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 3, 2026

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A foreign national woman shouts for help from a hotel window as fire engulfs the building in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 3, 2026

‘My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured and for strength & courage to all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy,’ she wrote on X.

‘Immediately upon receiving information about the incident, teams of Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, DDMA, CATS Ambulance Services and other emergency response agencies were mobilised and launched rescue and relief operations.’

She added that the Delhi government was ‘closely monitoring the situation’, noting that the necessary medical assistance and support were being offered to the families of those affected.

‘In this hour of grief, Delhi Govt. stands firmly with the affected families. We remain committed to providing every possible support to those impacted by this tragedy,’ Gupta added.

Fires are common in India, where building laws and safety norms are often flouted by builders and residents.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow.