21 killed in south Delhi restaurant fire, over 40 rescued from Malviya Nagar building

New Delhi: The death toll in the massive fire that broke out in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar on Wednesday has risen to 21, officials said. Many of those killed were foreign nationals.

According to police, information about the fire at Flourish Stay B&B in Malviya Nagar was received at 8.48 am, following which rescue and evacuation operations were launched immediately.

"Local police staff immediately reached the spot and commenced rescue, evacuation, and relief operations. The fire has been successfully extinguished with the assistance of eight fire tenders. More than 40 persons have been rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. Twenty-one persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident," South Delhi DCP Anant Mittal said.

The blaze, which reportedly originated at the Lemon Green Restaurant operating in the building, triggered a major firefighting and rescue operation. Multiple fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire was eventually brought under control.

Rescue and relief operations are continuing, while authorities work to identify the victims and ascertain their nationalities. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy and announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased victim. The injured will receive ₹50,000 each.

"The loss of lives due to a fire incident in Malviya Nagar, Delhi is tragic. My condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also expressed condolences to the bereaved families and said the government was closely monitoring the situation.

In a post on X, Gupta said teams from the Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), CATS Ambulance Services and other emergency response agencies were mobilised immediately after information about the incident was received.

She said the swift response of emergency personnel helped rescue and evacuate several people from the affected premises and assured that all necessary medical assistance and support were being extended to the affected families.

"In this hour of grief, the Delhi Government stands firmly with the affected families. We remain committed to providing every possible support to those impacted by this tragedy," Gupta said.