New Delhi

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday confirmed that 13 foreign nationals were among those killed in the devastating fire that broke out at a bed-and-breakfast facility in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area earlier this week.

During the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed condolences to the families of the victims and said Indian authorities were coordinating closely with the embassies of the affected countries.

According to the MEA, the deceased foreign nationals include one citizen each from Mozambique, Liberia, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Iraq. Four victims were from Nigeria, while three were citizens of Kyrgyzstan.

Jaiswal said the government is maintaining regular communication with the concerned diplomatic missions to facilitate documentation, provide medical assistance to survivors and extend any other support required.

Officials also indicated that around 20 to 22 foreign nationals sustained injuries in the incident and are receiving treatment.

The blaze, which erupted on Wednesday, claimed a total of 21 lives and is among the deadliest fire tragedies reported in the national capital in recent years.

Meanwhile, investigators have intensified their probe into the incident. A Delhi court has granted four days of police custody of Lavkesh Bajaj, one of the co-owners of the establishment, to enable further questioning and evidence collection.

Bajaj was arrested a day after the fire and has been charged under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, negligence endangering human life and offences related to fire hazards.

Police are also examining the ownership and operational structure of the property. Preliminary findings suggest that Bajaj owns multiple hospitality establishments and is the sole proprietor of the building where the fire occurred.

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The investigation is expected to focus on possible violations of safety regulations, emergency preparedness measures and other factors that may have contributed to the high casualty count.