New Delhi, June 03 At least 20 people were killed and dozens were injured when a massive fire broke out at the multi-storey Lemon Green Restaurant in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar on Wednesday morning, officials said. Delhi Fire Services rushed ten fire tenders to the scene and brought the blaze under control. However, the damage to the building was extensive and the casualty count remains severe.
Authorities confirmed that 37 people were rescued and taken to hospital, with several reported to be in critical condition. Witnesses and responders said some people attempted to jump from upper floors in a desperate effort to escape the flames and thick smoke.
Senior officials from Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Services and local administration reached the site and are overseeing search and rescue operations, which continued through the day to locate anyone possibly trapped on different floors of the building.
Speaking to reporters at the scene, SDM Jitender Kumar said preliminary findings indicate that a restaurant was operating in the basement of the building and the fire most likely started there. “I received information in the morning, and teams were instructed to reach the spot immediately. I myself was supposed to go for training, but I left it and came here. It has been found that a restaurant was operating in the basement of the building. The exact cause is not yet known, but most likely the fire started there. The investigation is still underway,” he said.
Kumar added that strict action would be taken against any violations detected during the probe. “It is necessary to take strict action against them. I will also instruct the concerned department to ensure action is taken against those who are illegally carrying out such activities and running operations under the guise of permissions,” he stated.
Rescue teams combed through the affected floors as firefighters worked to ventilate the structure and cool hotspots. Ambulances remained on standby to transfer the injured as police cordoned off the area to manage crowds and facilitate emergency movement.
Officials have not yet determined the precise cause of the blaze or confirmed whether the building’s fire safety systems were functional at the time. An official investigation has been initiated, and further details are awaited.
The incident comes a day after a suspected LPG cylinder explosion triggered the collapse of a building in Delhi’s Mukundpur area, injuring ten people on Tuesday morning. The back-to-back emergencies have prompted renewed calls for rigorous enforcement of fire safety and building compliance standards across the city, particularly in mixed-use and high-density commercial zones.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid the area while operations continue and have indicated that updates on the investigation and casualty figures will be shared as information is verified.
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