At least 20 people were killed, and dozens were injured after a massive fire broke out at the multi-storied Lemon Green Restaurant in Delhi's Malviya Nagar on Wednesday morning, officials said. So far, 37 people were rescued and taken to the hospital, while a search for others is underway, they added.
Officials said that some people tried to jump from the upper floors of the building to save their lives. The injured have been sent to a nearby hospital. Some of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. Senior officials from Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Services and rescue services are present at the scene and monitoring the situation.
Upon receiving the information, ten fire tenders were immediately dispatched to the scene. The fire was soon brought under control. However, the damage was extensive. Speaking to the reporters, SDM Jitender Kumar said, "I received information in the morning, and teams were instructed to reach the spot immediately.
I myself was supposed to go for training, but I left it and came here. It has been found that a restaurant was operating in the basement of the building. The exact cause is not yet known, but most likely the fire started there. The investigation is still underway."
The search and rescue operations are still ongoing at the site. The rescue officials are trying to locate other people possibly trapped on different floors of the building. "Strict action will be taken against those who are violating the rules. It is necessary to take strict action against them.
I will also instruct the concerned department to ensure action is taken against those who are illegally carrying out such activities and running operations under the guise of permissions," SDM Kumar added. Further details are awaited. This comes a day after ten people were injured after a suspected LPG cylinder explosion led to the collapse of a building in Delhi's Mukundpur area on Tuesday morning.