At least 20 people lost their lives and several others sustained injuries after a massive fire broke out at a restaurant in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area on Wednesday morning. This is one of the deadliest fire tragedies in the national capital in recent times. Rescue teams worked for hours to evacuate those trapped inside the building as thick smoke and flames rapidly spread through the structure. As you know, during these fire incidents, most of the deaths take place due to smoke inhalation, not due to fire, so the victims just couldn’t get out to breathe fresh air.
According to officials, the blaze erupted at the Lemon Green Restaurant, located in a multi-storey building in the busy commercial locality. Firefighters rushed to the scene after receiving an emergency call and deployed multiple fire tenders to contain the inferno. Authorities said several people were trapped in the basement and upper sections of the building when the fire broke out.
Emergency responders managed to rescue dozens of people from the smoke-filled premises and shift the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment. Witnesses described scenes of panic as people attempted to escape the rapidly spreading fire. Some individuals were reportedly forced to jump from windows and balconies to save themselves from the flames.
Officials confirmed that the death toll had reached 20, with fears that the number could rise further as search operations continue. Preliminary reports suggest that some foreign nationals may be among the victims, although authorities are still working to identify all those who perished in the incident.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed grief over the tragedy and said the administration is closely monitoring the rescue and relief efforts. She assured that all possible assistance would be provided to the victims and their families. An investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the fire and to examine whether fire safety norms were violated.
The incident has once again raised serious concerns about fire safety compliance in commercial establishments across Delhi, with authorities expected to conduct a detailed review of safety measures in restaurants and other public buildings.
