21 Killed in massive fire at South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar restaurant; over 40 rescued

At least 21 people were killed after a devastating fire broke out at a restaurant-cum-guesthouse in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area this morning, officials confirmed.

According to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), the blaze was reported at 9:45 am at a multi-storey building operating as Flourish Stay B&B, prompting an immediate emergency response with multiple fire tenders and rescue teams rushed to the spot.

Officials said more than 40 people were rescued from the building during the operation and were shifted to nearby hospitals using CATS ambulances. Earlier reports had indicated that a few individuals were rescued from the basement, but the casualty count later rose significantly.

Preliminary inputs suggest that several of the deceased may be foreign nationals, although official identification is still underway. Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of the fire, stating that investigations are ongoing.

Emergency response teams from DFS, Delhi Police, DDMA, and disaster management units were deployed swiftly. Senior officials said the fire likely originated from the restaurant operating on the ground floor of the building.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia compensation of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the PMNRF. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also conveyed grief and assured full government support to affected families.