The contrast was evident as families and loved ones gathered in mortuaries and hospital hallways, desperately trying to identify their relatives who lost their lives in the fire at the Hauz Rani hotel early Wednesday morning. In stark contrast, only a handful of individuals arrived to seek information about the foreign nationals who met their fate while seeking medical care in the city.
The families of the deceased foreign nationals—twelve confirmed dead and others reportedly injured—were largely located far from Delhi, including in Bangladesh and various African nations, with some still unaware of the tragedy that had unfolded.
Officials indicated that the process of identifying the deceased and notifying their next of kin would rely on cooperation with embassies, a task that may take significant time to complete.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed his “deepest condolences” for the “tragic loss of lives, including those of foreign nationals,” and extended prayers for the swift recovery of the injured. He noted that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is in communication with embassies to provide necessary support.
Later in the day, two Nigerian nationals arrived at the AIIMS mortuary, holding photographs and ID cards of two missing individuals. After a brief visit, they quickly left and took an auto-rickshaw to Safdarjung Hospital, where critically injured victims had been transferred.
They were looking for Chiemeka Emmanuel, 36, and Ndubuisi Ferdinand, 39, both Nigerian nationals thought to have been staying at the B&B. “I am searching for them. We come from the same village in Nigeria,” one of them mentioned while browsing photos on his phone. He shared a video that appeared to show rescue personnel performing CPR on a man from the basement, whom he believed to be Ferdinand.
According to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, three Bangladeshi nationals—Md Nurul Amin, Md Chand Mia, and Md Nur Mia—were unaccounted for as of late Wednesday evening. The High Commission reported that six Bangladeshi nationals sustained injuries in the fire, with at least two in critical condition.
An official from the Bangladesh High Commission stated, “Due to the severe burn injuries of many victims, it is currently not feasible to conclusively determine their identities. Therefore, the precise number of Bangladeshi nationals among the deceased or missing remains uncertain at this time.”
Many of the Bangladeshi individuals were in Delhi for medical treatment or accompanying family members who were receiving care.
The injured include Mosharrof Hosain, who was admitted to Max Hospital in Saket; Omme Zahura and Rahana Akhter, who were taken to AIIMS; and Umme Samiya Putu, who is at Max Smart Hospital and reportedly suffering from severe shock and trauma.
At AIIMS, three bodies were received at the Burns Emergency unit around 11:30 a.m. Two of the deceased were estimated to be around 40 years old, suffering from burns covering 85% and 70% of their bodies, while another male victim, also approximately 40, had serious flame burns and inhalation injuries.
By late evening, sources from the fire department reported that two foreign nationals had died after being brought to the AIIMS Trauma Centre: Roland, a 40-year-old from Liberia, and Tshipambaachil, a 40-year-old from Mozambique.
At Max Hospital, 18 individuals were declared dead upon arrival. While hospital officials did not specify how many had been identified, sources indicated that three to four bodies were too charred to be recognized, with some believed to have succumbed to asphyxiation and suspected to be foreign nationals.
Additionally, fire department sources stated that as many as 12 victims at Max Hospital remained unidentified, and an unrecognized foreign national was admitted to the Burns Ward at Safdarjung Hospital.
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