A blaze swept through Lemon Green Restaurant, a multi-level hotel and dining venue in the Hauz Rani locality of Malviya Nagar, South Delhi, on Wednesday morning, claiming at least 21 lives. Delhi Police confirmed that more than 15 of those who died were foreign nationals. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal said the fire broke out at the Flourish Stay B&B in Malviya Nagar at around 8:48 am, prompting immediate rescue operations.
The hotel reportedly consisted of approximately 25 rooms and housed around 40 people at the time of the fire, most of them foreign nationals who were asleep as the blaze erupted. The guests were reportedly in India for medical treatment, according to The Week.
The Delhi Fire Service received information about the fire at around 9:45 am and immediately dispatched firefighters and rescue personnel to the restaurant, where several people were feared trapped. About 10 fire tenders — including two water engines, two bowsers, a quick response vehicle, and other units — were deployed to the site. Firefighters brought the blaze under control, though search operations continued for several hours.
37 people were rescued and taken to hospital, while a search for others was underway, officials said. Some of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.
Videos circulated of people jumping from the burning building to the ground to escape the flames.
Chef Kesar Singh, who works at the hotel’s restaurant, described the moment the fire broke out. He told News18 that at around 8 a.m. he tried to light an electric stove and a fire suddenly erupted. He immediately warned his assistant and fled the building. “When I stepped outside, I saw that the entire hotel was on fire. I somehow managed to escape,” he said.
Jitendra Kumar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), said authorities established that a restaurant was operating on the ground floor of the building, and confirmed that the exact cause of the fire remained unknown. Preliminary information suggested the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit, with investigators examining electrical systems and other possible factors.
Divisional Officer Ravinder from the Nehru Place Fire Station supervised the operation on the ground.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office responded quickly. The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) announced financial aid of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased victim and Rs 50,000 to those injured in the incident.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena said he was deeply distressed by the tragic fire and confirmed that police, civil administration, and fire department teams were carrying out rescue and relief operations at the site. He added that officials had been directed to ensure immediate medical assistance for the victims and conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident.
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Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and said the Delhi government was closely observing the situation, ensuring that all necessary medical care and support were being provided to those impacted. “The Delhi government stands firmly with them during this difficult time and remains committed to providing every possible assistance,” she said, according to India TV News.
The significant number of foreign casualties gives the incident an international dimension. More than 15 of the 21 confirmed dead were foreign nationals, according to Delhi Police, many of whom had come to India for medical treatment and were asleep in the hotel when the fire started. The nationalities of the deceased had not been officially confirmed at the time of publication.
Delhi has seen a pattern of deadly fires in densely built residential and commercial areas. The Malviya Nagar neighbourhood falls within a Lal Dora zone — a category of land in Indian cities where informal construction has expanded rapidly, often with limited regulatory oversight. One local official, citing the rapid growth of multi-storey hotels near Max Hospital in the area, raised fire safety concerns in a social media post on Wednesday, according to The Week. Fires in hotels and restaurants across Indian cities have repeatedly raised questions about building code compliance and fire safety inspections.
Officials confirmed that a formal inquiry into the origin of the fire is currently in progress. Delhi Police and fire department officials continued inspecting the site after the flames were brought under control. The nationalities of the foreign victims are expected to be confirmed once next-of-kin notifications are completed. Medical evaluations of the injured are ongoing, and the condition of those in critical care will determine whether the death toll rises further. The Delhi government has committed to providing full support to affected families as the investigation proceeds.
