On 3 June 2026, a fire broke out at the Lemon Green Restaurant in Malviya Nagar, South Delhi, resulting in the deaths of at least 21 people. The incident occurred in a five-storey building that housed a bed-and-breakfast facility, with several foreign nationals among the deceased. Emergency services conducted large-scale rescue operations, evacuating over 40 individuals and transporting the injured to nearby hospitals. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
According to Hindustan Times, the establishment was operating 24 rooms despite having approval for only six under the bed-and-breakfast scheme. Officials are examining whether violations of licensing and safety norms contributed to the scale of the tragedy. The building, located in the congested Hauz Rani locality, had a basement, ground floor, and five upper floors, with many occupants reportedly relatives of patients at nearby hospitals.
As reported by The Indian Express, several of those killed were foreign nationals from African countries. Many victims were asleep when the fire broke out, and the death toll is expected to rise as some injured remain in critical condition. The premises, known as Lemon Green Inn, is situated near Max Hospital in Saket, and the alert was received by Delhi Fire Services at 9:45 am.
As highlighted by Deccan Herald, three people were rescued from the basement of the Lemon Green Restaurant. Multiple fire tenders were dispatched around 8:50 am, and the rescued individuals were taken to hospital by CATS ambulances. The condition of those rescued was not immediately known, and the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
Live updates confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex-gratia payments of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed sorrow and stated that emergency teams from the Delhi Fire Services, Police, Disaster Management Authority, and CATS Ambulance Services were deployed promptly.
Rescue efforts were supported by local residents, who placed mattresses on the road to help people escape from upper floors as coverage revealed. Emergency teams evacuated several occupants, and some people jumped from the building onto the mattresses to avoid the flames. The government is closely monitoring the situation and providing medical assistance to affected families.
Initial reports suggested the fire may have originated from the restaurant on the ground floor, but police later clarified that the blaze started within the hotel building itself as further details emerged. The exact number of people present at the time was not immediately known, and authorities are continuing search and rescue operations while assessing the extent of the damage.
Eyewitnesses described thick smoke engulfing the structure and people breaking glass to escape. Some residents alleged that the building had only one exit and lacked proper ventilation, which may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire as statements indicated. Officials have launched an investigation into possible violations of building, fire-safety, and tourism regulations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and assured that authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected as official statements confirmed. The investigation is ongoing, and further updates are expected as authorities determine the cause and assess accountability for the incident.
