South Delhi: A catastrophic fire tore through a bed-and-breakfast hotel and basement restaurant in South Delhi’s congested Hauz Rani area in Malviya Nagar on Wednesday morning, June 3, 2026. The horrific incident left at least 21 people dead and over 40 others injured or rescued from the smoke-filled building.
The Root Cause and How the Fire Spread
The fire reportedly originated between 8:30 AM and 8:48 AM at the Lemon Green Restaurant, which was operating on the ground floor and basement of the premises.
- According to preliminary police investigations, the fire was triggered shortly after a chef arrived at the eatery and switched on the commercial kitchen setup.
- A loud blast-like sound was heard, and within minutes, massive flames and thick smoke engulfed the narrow five-story building, known as the Flourish Stay B&B.
- Because the building had only a single entry-exit point and lacked adequate fire safety protocols, dozens of guests became trapped on the upper floors.
High Casualties Among Foreign Medical Tourists
Officials confirmed that out of the 21 deceased victims, a significant majority—at least 11 to 18 individuals—were foreign nationals.
- Victims’ Nationalities: The deceased included nationals from Turkmenistan, Nigeria, Mozambique, Liberia, and Bangladesh.
- Purpose of Visit: Most of the foreign victims were medical tourists who had traveled to New Delhi for specialized treatments at nearby hospitals and were residing in the B&B during their recovery period.
Heroic Local Rescues and Eyewitness Accounts
As smoke filled the structure, desperate guests tried to break windowpanes and aluminum grills to escape.
“I saw four to six people breaking the glass and jumping from the building to escape the fire,” an eyewitness recounted.
Local residents rushed to help before emergency services arrived, dragging mattresses out from nearby shops to catch people jumping from the third and fourth floors. A foreign couple attempted to climb down an external pipe but fell; their fall was partially broken by overhead electrical wires.
Current Status, Arrests, and Administrative Crackdown
Delhi Fire Services deployed multiple fire tenders to bring the blaze under control and successfully evacuated the building.
- Arrest Made: Hours after the incident, Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under charges of culpable homicide and arrested the building owner, identified as Lavkesh Bajaj, for criminal negligence and operating without valid fire approvals.
- MCD Action: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) announced a city-wide crackdown, stating it will seal unauthorized commercial establishments, guest houses, and illegal buildings violating fire safety norms in the South Zone starting Thursday.
- MEA Assistance: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that the Ministry of External Affairs is coordinating directly with the respective foreign embassies to provide all necessary assistance to the families of the international victims.
Government Compensation and Official Reactions
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over the tragedy, announcing an ex-gratia compensation of ₹2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of the deceased, and ₹50,000 for those injured.
President Droupadi Murmu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge sent their heartfelt condolences. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu ordered a thorough magisterial inquiry, while Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta affirmed that the state government is closely monitoring the situation and ensuring the best possible medical care for survivors admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre and Safdarjung Hospital.
