A fast-spreading blaze that began in a restaurant beneath a six-storey hotel in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar left 21 people dead and dozens injured on Wednesday morning, officials and witnesses said. Authorities have registered an FIR under culpable homicide and are probing whether the building had the required fire NOC.

Fire starts in restaurant
According to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), the first call came in at 8:50–8:51 am reporting a fire at the Lemon Green restaurant on Press Enclave Road. Flames rapidly raced up from the ground-floor eatery into the Flourish Stay B&B above, smoke-locking several floors and trapping guests, many of whom were attendants of patients at nearby hospitals.

Early rescue timeline
DFS said initial teams reached within minutes and ramped up the response to 10–12 fire tenders as the situation worsened. Rescue crews evacuated at least 40–47 people, officials said; three people were pulled from the basement and several others were taken to nearby hospitals in critical condition. Delhi Divisional Officer Ravinder Singh later confirmed the rescue operation had ended and the fire was fully extinguished.

Victims and nationalities
Delhi Police told news agencies that 21 people died; multiple officials said 17 of the deceased were foreign nationals, including citizens from Bangladesh and other South Asian countries. Local BJP MLA Satish Upadhyay said many guests were in the hotel while accompanying patients at Max Hospital and other nearby medical facilities.

Ownership and legal action
Delhi Police identified the owner as Lokesh Bajaj and said three partners run the establishment; they are examining links to other properties owned by the group. The police registered an FIR under culpable homicide and other relevant sections of the penal code. Delhi Minister Ashish Sood told reporters the building owner would be arrested if negligence is established.

NOC and safety questions
Several officials familiar with the matter told reporters that the building may have lacked a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the fire department. Forensic teams and fire investigators arrived at the site early in the afternoon to collect evidence and reconstruct how the blaze spread. The SDM and municipal officials said they would take strict action against any code violations.

Ground response and local help
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as residents broke windows, threw out mattresses and caught people who jumped from upper floors. “We rushed with blankets and mattresses… a woman jumped carrying a child,” said Sher Khan, a local shopkeeper. Ten police personnel were also injured while participating in rescue operations and are being treated in hospital, police said.

Political reactions and relief
The blaze drew swift condolences from political leaders across the spectrum. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for those injured. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, President Droupadi Murmu and several national leaders expressed grief and urged swift relief and medical care for victims.

Hospital capacity and treatment
Max Healthcare confirmed it was treating several critical patients transferred from the site; hospital spokespeople said most injured were being stabilised and that counselors were on site for relatives. AIIMS and other emergency departments in the area were put on alert given the proximity of the incident to major medical centres.

What investigators will look at
Officials said the probe will focus on the origin of the fire in the restaurant, the speed of its spread to upper floors, evacuation routes, fire safety equipment availability and whether exits were accessible. If the NOC or other safety clearances are found missing or falsified, charges could be broadened.

Outlook and public impact
The killings have raised immediate questions about safety standards in budget hotels and guest houses near Delhi hospitals — places that often house long-stay attendants and foreign patients. Local residents and patient families called for tighter inspections of such premises.

Authorities said a detailed status update and formal list of victims would be released after post-mortems and family notifications are complete. Meanwhile, police and municipal teams continued compiling the building’s records and ownership papers as the criminal investigation proceeds.

An LPG cylinder blast on Tuesday morning flattened a single-storey house in north Delhi’s Mukundpur area, injuring 11 people and leaving a woman in critical condition, officials said. Rescue teams are continuing search-and-rescue operations and clearing debris amid local efforts to pull out survivors.

Blast and collapse

The explosion occurred around 9:37 am in Gali No. 1, Ishu Vihar, Mukundpur-II, close to a cremation ground, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said. A distress call reporting a blast and a collapsed structure prompted an immediate response by DFS and police units, who feared people might be trapped under rubble.

“Information was received that a blast had taken place and a building had collapsed, trapping people inside. Rescue teams were immediately rushed to the spot and search and rescue operations were launched,” a DFS official said.

Initial rescues

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Hareshwar Swami said police and emergency responders, along with locals, pulled 11 people out of the wreckage. Four to five injured persons were first evacuated by nearby residents and patrol personnel and moved to a local hospital. One woman sustained severe burn injuries and was reported to be in critical condition late Tuesday morning.

Prima facie cause

Preliminary inquiries suggest the explosion may have occurred while gas was being transferred from a larger cylinder to a smaller one, Swami added. Several LPG cylinders were recovered at the site. He also said that a utensil-colouring unit appeared to be operating from the house, which officials are probing as a possible factor in the blast.

Ground response and eyewitness accounts

Residents described loud, sudden blast-like sound that sent up a cloud of dust. “The moment I heard a loud blast-like sound, the first thing that came to my mind was that a gas cylinder had exploded. We immediately ran towards the spot and found that a house had collapsed,” an eyewitness told reporters at the scene. Neighbours and shopkeepers joined the rescue effort, using tools and bare hands to clear debris before emergency teams arrived.

Another local, who helped pull victims out, said he suffered minor injuries but continued to assist until officials took over. Authorities said clearing operations were ongoing to ensure no one remained trapped inside the 250-square-yard single-storey structure.

Hospital care and condition

Injured residents were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Officials did not immediately disclose the names or ages of those hurt, citing ongoing medical assessments. A spokesperson for the hospital confirmed receiving multiple patients from the Mukundpur incident, including the woman with critical burns, and said specialists had been mobilised for burn care and trauma management.

Separate blast in East Delhi

Police said a separate cylinder blast in Shahdara’s Ajit Nagar injured four people around 1:30 pm on Tuesday. Shahdara Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajendra Prasad Meena said the explosion at a house in Gandhi Nagar likely stemmed from a leaking gas cylinder pipe. Head Constable Rahul and Constable Kuldeep rescued a woman, her husband and children from the first floor and shifted them to hospital. Both the Shahdara and Mukundpur incidents are under investigation.

Investigations under way

Delhi police and fire officials are jointly probing the Mukundpur explosion. Investigators are collecting the recovered cylinders and examining whether illegal industrial activity — the reported utensil-colouring unit — or unsafe gas-handling practices contributed to the blast. Officials said they would also review whether any unauthorised storage of cylinders or non-compliance with safety norms occurred at the site.

Public safety concerns

The twin incidents have renewed concerns about unsafe handling of LPG cylinders and clandestine small-scale manufacturing units operating from residential buildings in multiple parts of the city. Local residents urged stricter enforcement and periodic safety inspections, particularly in congested neighbourhoods where homes double as workspaces.

What’s next

Police said further details, including formal cause and casualty list, will be released after forensic work and statements from survivors. Meanwhile, authorities have appealed to residents in the area to stay clear of the site to allow uninterrupted rescue and investigation work.