South Delhi B&B fire: Bangladeshi national who had come for husband’s kidney transplant dies; toll rises to 23
“They landed in Delhi on June 2 evening and stayed the night at the Delhi airport. The next day, they went to a cafe to eat,” Md Robiul (33), Amin's brother-in-law, told The Indian Express.
Police suspect the fire was triggered by a short circuit. According to the FIR, B&B owner Lavkesh Bajaj owner did not ensure adequate safety measures at the building, resulting in the fire.
For a week, 38-year-old Rahana Akhtar fought for life in a hospital after a fire at Flourish Stays B&B in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar claimed the lives of her brother and 21 others. On Wednesday, the Bangladeshi national – who had come to the Capital for her husband’s kidney transplant – succumbed to her injuries, becoming the 23rd casualty of the June 3 blaze.
She is the 14th foreign national to lose her life in the fire.
Rahana had arrived in Delhi from Dhaka on June 2 along with her husband, Mosharaf Hossain (44), who was scheduled to undergo a kidney transplant at near Max Hospital in Saket – located near the B&B – and her brother Md Nurul Amin (44), who had accompanied the couple to assist them during their stay in Delhi. Hossain’s sister Zohra, the donor, and her daughter had also come with them.
“They landed in Delhi on June 2 evening and stayed the night at the Delhi airport. The next day, they went to a cafe to eat,” Md Robiul (33), Amin’s brother-in-law, told The Indian Express.
The cafe was located on the first floor of the B&B. As Amin and the family ate, just before they planned to visit the hospital, a fire broke out in the building. Amin was among the initial 22 people who died in the fire, while Hossain, Rahana, Zohra and her daughter sustained injuries.
“People from the Embassy told me that they were eating at the restaurant when the fire broke out. I think because they were on the first floor, at least the others managed to get out in time. Amin couldn’t,” Robiul added.
Police suspect the fire was triggered by a short circuit. According to the FIR, B&B owner Lavkesh Bajaj owner did not ensure adequate safety measures at the building, resulting in the fire.
Police have found that Bajaj purchased the property in 2022, when it was a three-storey building being used for a garment business. He subsequently converted it into a bed-and-breakfast facility and, seeing the demand from foreign patients visiting hospitals in the area, and added more floors.
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