Delhi Hotel Fire Claims 21 Lives: A Look At India's Major Deadly Infernos Since Independence

New Delhi: A massive fire broke out in a bed and breakfast hotel in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar on Wednesday, claiming at least 21 lives. Several of those killed are foreign nationals, mainly from Central Asia and Africa, officials said.

Mandi Dabwali fire

The deadliest fire reported after India's independence was the Mandi Dabwali fire disaster on December 23, 1995, in Haryana's Sirsa district. An electrical short circuit at a crowded school annual day event ignited a synthetic tent, resulting in a devastating inferno and stampede that killed over 540 people, including 258 children.

Odisha religious congregation fire

176 persons, including 26 children and 4 women, were burnt to death at the state-level religious conference of Swami Nigamananda on February 23, 1997. The fire originated in one of the temporary sheds constructed for the devotees when most of them were resting after lunch.

Puttingal Devi Temple fire

On April 10, 2016, at approximately 03:30 am IST, the Puttingal Temple in Kerala's Kollam experienced a fireworks accident after firework celebrations went awry. As a result, 111 people were killed and more than 350 were injured, including some with severe burns.

Kumbakonam school fire

The Kumbakonam school fire happened at a school in Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district. On July 16, 2004, 94 students from the Krishna English Medium School's primary section were killed after the school's thatched roof caught fire.

AMRI Hospital fire

On December 9, 2010, 93 people were killed in a fire that broke out in the basement of a seven-storey building of the AMRI hospitals at Dhakuria in Kolkata. Most of the victims choked to death on the upper floors, even as the toxic smoke engulfed the building.