Liberian woman who died in Malviya Nagar fire identified

New Delhi, Jun 4 (PTI): Janjay N Roland (61), a Liberian national, who died in the hotel fire in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, was identified at the AIIMS mortuary on Thursday by a relative, a day after the blaze that claimed 21 lives.

The victim’s husband, who was undergoing treatment at Max Hospital and remains admitted there, was not in a condition to go to the mortuary, prompting the family to ask another relative to complete the identification process.

“My aunt and her husband were staying here. I was supposed to meet her later this week, but this happened before that. Since her husband is still admitted in the hospital, he called me and asked me to go to AIIMS to identify her,” said Maria, a relative who lives in Dehradun.

She said the family had been in touch with the hospital and authorities since the incident and was now awaiting assistance from the embassy to complete formalities for repatriation.

Now the embassy will be helping us to take her back home, she said.

The fire, which broke out on Wednesday morning, engulfed a hotel in the narrow lanes of Malviya Nagar, leaving 21 people dead and several others injured.

According to police sources, two foreign couples staying at the hotel had come to Delhi for IVF treatment at a nearby hospital. In one case, the wife died in the fire while her husband survived and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

In the other, both husband and wife survived, but the woman suffered severe injuries and has been paralysed from the waist down, while her husband is also receiving treatment.

Officials said both couples were among several foreign nationals staying at the hotel for medical purposes.

Police and forensic teams continued their investigation at the site on Thursday as the area remained cordoned off.

Officials said identification of victims was underway at AIIMS mortuary, while families from different countries and states were being assisted through the process.

Residents in the area said the incident had left them shaken, with many describing scenes of panic and thick smoke as guests tried to escape from the building.

Further investigation into the cause of the fire is underway. PTI VBH SSJ AMJ AMJ

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)