Delhi restaurant fire kills 21, injures many

A fire at a restaurant in a multi-story building in New Delhi's Malviya Nagar area killed at least 21 people and injured several others on Wednesday morning, officials said. The blaze has prompted a major rescue operation, an investigation into its cause, and expressions of grief from national and local leaders.

The fire broke out in the Lemon Green Restaurant, located in the basement and ground floor of the Florist Inn Hotel in the Hauz Rani locality. Authorities received an emergency call at approximately 9:45 a.m., after which multiple fire tenders were dispatched to the scene. Dense smoke quickly filled the building, trapping dozens inside.

Firefighting and rescue operations continued for several hours. Officials confirmed that fire service personnel rescued multiple people from the premises, including three individuals from the restaurant's basement. The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals using Centralised Accident and Trauma Services ambulances. Some residents from upper floors reportedly jumped to safety onto mattresses laid out by locals.

Jitendra Kumar, a Sub-Divisional Magistrate with the District Disaster Management Authority, stated that emergency response...