A fire at the Lemon Green Restaurant in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area killed at least 21 people this morning. The blaze broke out at around 8:50 AM in the Hauz Rani locality and spread quickly through the multi-storey building.
Officials said that the Delhi Fire Service received the alert at about 9:45 AM. Firefighters reached the site soon after and launched rescue operations.
Teams rescued 37 people from the basement and moved them to nearby hospitals using CATS ambulances. Many victims could not escape. Authorities confirmed 21 deaths. Identification work is still underway because many documents were destroyed in the fire.
Police said that many of the dead appear to be foreign nationals. They are working with embassies to confirm identities. Officers also continue to trace the building owner and verify the sequence of events.
Joint CP (South) Vijay Kumar said teams are examining the cause of the fire. He added that police will file a case once investigators complete the initial assessment.
Preliminary findings show major licensing violations. The restaurant operated under a “Bed and Breakfast” licence that allowed only six rooms. However, officials believe the property ran nearly 25 rooms, including basement units.
Investigators also flagged a serious safety concern. The building had only one entry and exit point. That likely slowed evacuation and worsened the casualty count.
Authorities now examine possible breaches of fire safety and building norms. The case has become one of the most severe fire tragedies in the capital in recent years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh for each deceased victim’s family. He also announced ₹50,000 for the injured. He expressed condolences and assured support for affected families.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed grief over the incident. She said the government will provide medical help and monitor relief efforts. Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu also called the incident tragic and said agencies are carrying out coordinated rescue operations.
The fire has intensified scrutiny of safety enforcement in commercial buildings across Delhi. Families now wait for answers as investigators work to determine how the blaze spread so quickly.
