Hours after a fire at a New Delhi hotel killed 21 people, the establishment’s owner has been arrested. Delhi is also launching a fire safety inspection.
Delhi police have arrested hotel owner after a horiffic fire left 21 dead
A criminal case has been lodged over the incident
The Delhi government has directed a scrutiny into fire safety compliance in establishments all over the city
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Below, you can review developments from India from Thursday, June 4.
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In the state of Rajasthan, in northwestern India, lies a place that looks almost too magical to be real. Stretching out in brilliant white in Kishangarh, it resembles a snow-covered landscape under the blazing sun. Yet, behind the picture-perfect scenery, lies a less glamorous truth. The fine white dust that creates this mesmerizing view can be harmful when inhaled.
The massive dumping ground of marble dust draws travelers from across India and beyond. Bollywood has chosen this unusual setting as a backdrop for films and photo shoots despite the health risk.
Meanwhile, the marble industry profits from the attraction, charging for photo shoots and filming permits and renting space for food and drink stalls.
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Correction, June 3, 2026: This video mistakenly states that the marble dumping ground is 14 kilometers deep. It is, in fact, 14 meters deep.
After Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with visiting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, the foreign ministry in New Delhi said that India sees Venezuela’s vast oil reserves as an “opportunity” amid supply disruptions brought upon by the Middle East crisis.
“The government of India, because of the developments in the Middle East, is aggressively seeking out new sources of crude oil and energy to ensure India’s energy security,” senior Indian foreign ministry official Rudrendra Tandon told the media at a press briefing.
“So Venezuela is an opportunity, and it is very much part of our plan.” he added.
India — the world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer — sources almost half of its crude through the Strait of Hormuz which has been blockaded by the Iran war, nearing its 100th day.
Last year, India had stopped buying Venezuelan oil after US President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on any nation buying crude from the South American country.
New Delhi resumed the purchase of Venezuelan oil after an oil supply agreement between Washington and Caracas led to the sanctions being eased.
In May, India was the second-largest importer of Venezuelan oil after the US, with purchases of 427,000 barrels per day, according to Reuters.
Tandon told reporters that Thursday’s talks between India and Venezuela focused on “forging an energy partnership.”
“In the energy sector we see a perfect complementarity… In fact, in our spot purchases, Venezuela has already emerged as the third largest supplier this month,” he said.
Rodriguez, who has led Venezuela since the US capture of former President Nicolas Maduro in January, will visit oil refining facilities in India during her visit, Tandon said.
She is also expected to meet top Indian energy industry leaders in the financial capital of Mumbai, Reuters reported.
Rodriguez, after landing in New Delhi on Wednesday, said she expected “very fruitful” discussions during her trip.
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The Dalai Lama is set to undergo a medical treatment on his knee in New Delhi, his office announced on Thursday.
The longest-serving spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism will leave for the Indian capital from Dharamsala — the de facto capital of Tibetans in exile — on Friday, the statement from his office said.
The Dalai Lama has been residing in the Himalayan town since he fled Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
China deems the monk a separatist.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner had surgery on the same left knee in the United States in 2024.
The 90-year-old, who is the 14th Dalai Lama, said last year that he hoped to live beyond 130 years, surpassing his earlier prediction.
The Dalai Lama will travel to the northern Indian region of Ladakh after his recovery towards the end of the month for an extended stay, his office said.
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Monsoon rains arrived in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Thursday, the India Meteorological Department announced.
Even though the rains lashed the coastal state three days later than usual, they are a welcome occurrence following a sultry summer heatwave that pushed power demand to record highs.
The monsoon rains generally arrive in Kerala around June 1, and rumble over the entire country by mid-July, lasting till September.
The monsoon season is key to India’s $3.9 trillion (€3.36 trillion) economy as it provides almost 70% of the rainfall needed to water farms and top up aquifers and reservoirs.
At the onset of monsoon, Indian farmers sow crops like rice, maize, soybean, cotton and pulses.
In May, the Indian weather office lowered this year’s monsoon forecast, citing an El Nino-weakened season that could bring the lowest rainfall in 11 years. The forecast has triggered concerns over crops and food prices.
Meanwhile up north, skies were overcast in Delhi and its surrounding suburbs on Thursday afternoon, with the weather agency sending out a yellow — early warning — alert for rain and thunderstorms.
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Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi on Thursday held talks with Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, who is in New Delhi for a five-day working visit.
In a statement released earlier this week, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that the discussions between Modi and Rodriguez would encompass “the full spectrum of India–Venezuela relations.”
It added that the talks would explore opportunities for deeper cooperation in sectors like energy security, trade and investment, pharmaceuticals, health care, transportation, and renewable energy.
Shortly before the leaders met, Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar hailed what he called the Venezuelan leader’s “longstanding commitment” to the ties between the two nations.
Rodriguez is on her sixth official visit to India and is flanked by a delegation of her foreign affairs, economy, technology, communication and transportation ministers, the Indian foreign ministry statement said.
She has previously visited the country as foreign minister in 2015 and as vice president in 2019, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
In another fire in India — this time in the state of Bihar — at least four patients died after a blaze erupted in a private hospital in the early hours of Thursday.
Reports said that the fire broke out in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Prasad Hospital in the Muzaffarpur district of the eastern state, with the fire department receiving a call around 3:55 a.m. local time (10:25 p.m. UTC on Wednesday).
The fire is suspected to have been triggered by a short circuit in the ICU, news agency PTI cited the hospital authorities as saying.
“The fire has been brought under control, and necessary legal action is being undertaken,” Subrat Kumar Sen, the district magistrate, told the media.
He said that around 13-15 patients were being treated in the ICU, when the incident took place.
Police in New Delhi have arrested the owner of a hotel where a fire broke out on Wednesday, leaving 21 people dead.
Lavkesh Bajaj was arrested hours after a blaze tore through his Flourish Stay bed-and-breakfast, located in Malviya Nagar.
The Delhi police have registered a criminal case of culpable homicide as it investigates whether negligence and violations led to the deaths.
According to Indian media reports, the hotel was only approved to operate six rooms under the Delhi government’s Bed & Breakfast policy.
However, the reports cited a probe into the incident that alleged the hotel was operating 25 rooms, including those in the basement.
As per reports, the blaze appears to have started in the hotel’s kitchen, located in the basement, around 8.30 am on Wednesday.
As the flames consumed the five-storey building in the congested neighborhood, people stuck on the upper floors were seen jumping onto mattresses below.
Twelve foreign nationals and nine Indians were among those killed in the incident. Reports said that at least 47 people were pulled out from the fire and were receiving treatment in nearby hospitals.
The police are also looking to apprehend the manager of the establishment.
The blaze is the deadliest New Delhi has witnessed since 2022 and has sparked a fire safety clamp down in the capital city.
According to a statement from the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, a month-long inspection drive will be conducted starting Thursday to check the compliance of safety rules in hotels, guesthouses, nursing homes, coaching centers, and other vulnerable commercial premises.
Non-compliant premises will be sealed.
“A city-wide crackdown will be launched against illegal properties, unauthorized guest houses and establishments operating in violation of fire safety norms and building by-laws. Such premises will be sealed and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” the Delhi chief minister’s office said on X.
Meanwhile, India’s foreign ministry said that it was in touch with the embassies of the foreign nationals who died in the fire. Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that his ministry was extending all necessary assistance.
The hotel was popular among foreign medical tourists visiting a nearby hospital, reports said.
The foreign nationals killed in the incident included people from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique, and Liberia, Indian media reported.
This is Dharvi Vaid Dhulia from DW’s studio in New Delhi, bringing you our daily news wrap of all the biggest developments making headlines in India.
The Indian capital is still reeling from a fire tragedy after a massive blaze ripped through a hotel in south Delhi, killing 21 people.
With questions abound over what caused the fire and mounting concerns over fire safety, the Delhi government has scrambled to launch a city-wide crackdown on establishments flouting fire safety norms.
Meanwhile, the owner of the charred hotel building has been arrested and the police are looking for the property’s manager.
In news from the increasingly fragile world of international relations, India is hosting two high-profile visitors.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, is in New Delhi for the next five days on a working visit aimed at strengthening India-Venezuela relations.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is on her first trip to India. During her visit, she will formally review the progress of the UK-India Vision 2035, a shared roadmap designed to strengthen bilateral ties.
Stay tuned for more updates!
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