In south Delhi's Hauz Rani, residents rely on ‘themselves, neighbours’ as fire fears linger after tragedy

As one enters Hauz Rani in South Delhi, the aftermath of a tragedy still hangs heavy over the narrow lanes where a massive fire at Flourish Stay B&B claimed 21 lives. The bylanes are tight, almost claustrophobic, with homes pressing in from both sides, making navigation difficult even on foot.Overhead, a dense web of tangled electrical and communication wires stretches across the locality—drooping, overlapping and hanging dangerously close to rooftops. Residents say this criss-crossing mesh has long turned the neighbourhood into a potential fire and electrical hazard.“Every lane in Delhi has a web of wires hanging overhead. We don’t have an underground cable system in the city. We raised this issue with the MCD, and they sent some people to cut the wires. But after a few days, residents called their private cable and Wi-Fi service providers to get the wires reinstalled,” said Mohammed Israil, a resident of the locality.Pointing to a dustbin placed across from his apartment, Mohammad Arif, a long-time resident whose family has lived in Hauz Rani for generations, recounted a frustrating experience. He said he personally cut several hanging wires and disposed of them in an attempt to address the problem. However, his efforts proved short-lived, as neighbours had the wires reinstalled soon afterwards.Across from the site of the tragedy, a cluster of transformers stands amid parallel strands of tangled wiring, some hanging perilously close to buildings and others cutting across narrow lanes. What residents describe as routine infrastructure has now come under renewed scrutiny following the fatal blaze.Mohammed Riyan, an 18-year-old resident of Hauz Rani, pointed to what he described as a persistent and overlooked danger embedded in everyday life in the area.“The authorities conduct safety inspections only after an incident occurs. Otherwise, they pay no attention to the safety of people living in these narrow lanes. The hotel was located on the main road and stood on a relatively wider lane, yet the fire tenders still took too long to reach it. Imagine what would happen if a fire breaks out in my area,” he said.Riyan added that while the proximity of electrical wires and transformers near the hotel had always been a concern, panic subsided after the blaze because power was cut quickly once authorities were alerted.Other residents echoed similar concerns, saying that if a major fire were to break out in the interior lanes, they could not rely solely on emergency services and would have to depend on one another for rescue efforts.In one lane, a house has an electric pole passing through the corner of its balcony, while transformers hang amid a web of overhead wires—an everyday sight residents say they have learned to live with despite the risks.Geeta, who runs an ironing stall in a nearby lane, said, “We don’t wish to get into trouble by complaining about these wires. We are more concerned about earning a living and sustaining our families in this city.”Having moved to Delhi from Bihar decades ago in search of better opportunities, she said the struggle for stability has left little room to challenge the hazards surrounding her.A few months ago, a fire broke out on the first floor of a residential building in the locality. Neighbours rushed to the rescue and managed to control the blaze before fire services could be called, preventing what could have turned into a far greater tragedy.A similar scene unfolded during the hotel fire. Residents rushed into the burning building to rescue those trapped inside. Arif said he witnessed the rescue efforts firsthand and that one of the volunteers was injured while helping evacuate guests.The fire broke out at around 8:30 a.m. on June 3 in the basement of Flourish Stays Bed & Breakfast in South Delhi's Malviya Nagar. The blaze quickly spread through the five-storey building, killing 21 people.Of the 18 victims identified so far, at least nine were foreign nationals. Many had travelled to Delhi for medical treatment at the nearby Max Hospital.Before firefighters arrived, local residents came to the aid of those trapped inside the building. They brought mattresses from a nearby shop and spread them on the road to cushion the fall of guests who were forced to jump from second- and third-floor windows to escape the flames.Authorities have revealed that the establishment was permitted to operate only six rooms but was allegedly running a 25-room facility. Senior fire officials stated that the building lacked several mandatory fire-safety measures, including smoke detectors, automated fire alarms, sprinkler systems and a fire no-objection certificate.The building also had only a single entry-exit point, making evacuation difficult when the fire broke out. Additionally, officials alleged that several rooms were fitted with electronic key-card locks. Once the power supply was cut during the fire, these systems became inoperable, leaving many guests trapped inside their rooms.The Delhi Police have registered a case under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 326(g) (mischief by fire), 324(5) (wrongful damage to property), 125(a) (negligent acts endangering human life or personal safety), 125(b) (causing grievous hurt by negligence), and 287 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with negligent conduct involving fire.Lavkesh Bajaj, the owner of the hotel, allegedly fled the scene after the fire broke out. The police subsequently issued a lookout circular against him and his wife. He was later apprehended by the police.