At Least 21 Dead in South Delhi Restaurant Fire
New Delhi: A fire on June 3, at a Malviya Nagar restaurant in New Delhi, has killed least 21 people.
The Delhi Fire Services are executing what news outlets describe as a major rescue operation.
The blaze erupted at the restaurant during the morning hours, with several people reported trapped inside the building, Hindustan Times reported. Firefighters rushed to the spot and launched rescue efforts to evacuate those caught in the fire.
As many as 37 people were rescued from the building. Reports say they were taken to hospitals in Centralised Accident and Trauma Services ambulances.
According to news agency PTI, many of those killed are foreigners.
The Telegraph reports that the restaurant is located in the narrow lanes of Hauz Rani, that the restaurant was in the basement of a hotel which used to be popular with foreigners.
This is the second major disaster in Delhi in five days. As many as six people died after a multi-storey building which housed cafes, offices and a tuition centre near the Saket Metro station collapsed on May 30.
The chief minister, Rekha Gupta, has tweeted her condolences. "In this hour of grief, Delhi Government stands firmly with the affected families. We remain committed to providing every possible support to those impacted by this tragedy," she wrote on X.
The Prime Minister's Office has tweeted that an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh will be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured will be given Rs. 50,000. These will come from the PMNRF – Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.
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