At least 21 dead after fire tears through Delhi restaurant and hotel
Some people were forced to jump from the upper floors of the four-storey building to escape the flames
At least 21 people were killed after a blaze ripped through a restaurant and hotel in Delhi.
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Several people jumped out of the burning building to escape the flames, witnesses said, with residents dragging mattresses from a nearby store to try to break their fall.
"People spread mattresses, and a woman from the third floor jumped on it with a little kid," witness Sher Khan said.
Television footage showed two people jumping from a higher floor of the building as it was engulfed in flames, with smoke billowing out.
Local people who helped in the initial rescue said the fire broke out on the ground and first floors of the four-storey building, trapping those on higher floors.
"There is a mattress shop here ... We took the mattresses from there and laid them on the road to help those who were jumping out of the building," Wasim Raja, a local resident, told news agency ANI.
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At least 10 people were killed after a major fire broke out at a restaurant in Malviya Nagar, New Delhi, India.- Officials says. pic.twitter.com/LyeUUb1S1a
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) June 3, 2026
The fire broke out in the hotel in South Delhi's Malviya Nagar at around 9.45am local time, and eight fire tenders were dispatched to douse the blaze, police said in a statement.
The fire was extinguished around midday, a Reuters witness said.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, though police indicated it likely started in the restaurant.
"Through the coordinated efforts of police, fire services, and other emergency responders, more than 40 persons have been rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals for medical treatment," police said.
"It is with profound sorrow that 21 persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident," it said.
A spokesperson at the state-run All India Institute of Medical Sciences told Reuters the hospital had received 13 patients, two of whom were critical.
"There was reportedly a restaurant operating on the ground floor of the building ... it is most likely that the fire was connected to that restaurant," local administration official Jitendra Kumar told reporters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences for the loss of lives in a post on X.
"Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected," he said.