A fire ripped through a three-story building in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar district on Tuesday, claiming at least 10 lives and leaving more than 50 injured. Residents and business owners in the city’s busy South Delhi district were left panic-stricken by the fire, which apparently erupted in a restaurant in the building.
Fire erupted at the peak of the day at that time and spread quickly through several floors of the building, officials said. Heavy smoke billowed from the building, and rescue operations had been made difficult, forcing many people inside to flee. Emergency calls flooded the Delhi Fire Services control room as residents reported flames rising from the building and people trapped inside.
Firefighters rushed to the scene with fire tenders and immediately launched rescue and firefighting efforts. Because of the fire and heavy smoke volume in the building, firefighters had to search floor by floor to get people out of the building. There were many people rescued and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Ten people died in the fire, fire officials said. The victims had severe burn injuries and smoke inhalation. Some of the injured people were admitted to hospitals, and some have respiratory complications and burn wounds.
Delhi: A fire broke out at Lemon Green Restaurant in Malviya Nagar. Ten fire tenders and emergency vehicles were deployed. Three people were rescued from the basement and taken to the hospital. The fire has been brought under control pic.twitter.com/e1BJDZ4ZIN
— IANS (@ians_india) June 3, 2026
Witnesses described the chaos as flames started spreading rapidly through the building. Residents and shopkeepers were trying to help emergency workers move people from neighbouring buildings to get them out of the building and help them, and clear roads for rescue vehicles.
The restaurant in the building, investigators said, seems to have been the cause of the fire, but the exact cause remains unknown. There were initial indications that an electrical fault, kitchen accident, or other technical problem may have been the cause of the fire, but no firm conclusion has been reached, they said.
The Delhi Fire Services personnel worked for several hours to control the fire and prevent it from spreading to neighbouring buildings in the densely populated commercial and residential area. Cooling operations were maintained after the fire had been extinguished to keep the smoke from showing up as hot spots.
The district administration and senior police officers went to the site to monitor rescue efforts and assess the situation. A forensic examination of the building will be carried out to determine what caused the fire and if there was any possible violation of safety laws, and what might have gone wrong, the fire department said.
The tragedy has once again raised concerns about fire safety compliance in restaurants, commercial establishments, and mixed-use buildings across the national capital. The building might well have fire-fighting equipment, emergency exits, and safety clearances to operate, and authorities will probably try to figure out if that was the case.
Families of the victims and injured people have been informed, and local authorities are coordinating medical assistance and support for the affected persons.
The investigation has been initiated, and officials are taking strict action to remedy any negligence or safety violations if found, as stated at the time of the accident. As rescue and assessment work continues, the health and safety of the injured and the loss of life are the primary focus.
