There were 21 deaths in the Malviya Nagar accident in Delhi.
Malviya Nagar Fire: 21 people have died in the fire that broke out in the Lemon Green restaurant in Malviya Nagar, Delhi. Dozens are injured. The accident happened on Wednesday morning. The restaurant was basement. The fire here took a dangerous form. There was chaos. People started running to save their lives. The fire that broke out here spread rapidly in the building and started reaching the foreigners staying in the rooms above the restaurant. This is not the first case of fire in the basement. Most fires in basements prove fatal. Now the question is why this happens. Let us understand its complete science.
First reason, after a fire in the basement, the first effect is visible in the form of smoke. The smoke rises upwards but it cannot come out. The ceiling in the basement is slightly lower than the second floor above. There are no windows. There is only one way out, which is up the stairs and it is filled with smoke. Sometimes the smoke is so thick that even the road cannot be seen.
Why is basement fire the most newsworthy?
Second reason: lack of oxygen
In case of fire, the oxygen in the basement gets exhausted quickly and the level of carbon dioxide increases rapidly. Carbon dioxide is a gas which has the ability to render one unconscious within 2 to 3 minutes. If there is no ventilation in the basement, smoke blocks the exit route and the exit route is not visible, people die of suffocation.
Photo of the incident site. Photo: PTI
Third reason: Wherever there is a way out, there is fire.
When there is a fire on the first floor or on the upper floor, people jump from the window. Exit from the balcony is done through a rope, but there are not all these options in the basement. According to the National Building Code, the design of stairs in the basement should be such that the smoke from the basement does not block the exit to the upper floors. But most basements have only one staircase which gets blocked in case of fire. It has been claimed that there was only one road in Malviya Nagar which was surrounded by smoke.
Delhi: On the Malviya Nagar fire incident, Delhi Fire Services PRO AK Malik says, “…We received a call at 8:50 AM, and we mobilized the fire engines by 8:51 AM. Initially, we deployed seven vehicles, but as the volume of calls increased, we increased the number of vehicles. pic.twitter.com/O7dFnBVYPX
— IANS (@ians_india) June 3, 2026
Fourth reason: Difficult for fire brigade to enter
When firefighters go to extinguish a fire in a building, they pour water from above or enter by breaking windows. It becomes impossible for them to reach the basement. They have to go down the only staircase which is full of smoke and fire.
At least 10 people were killed after a major fire broke out at a restaurant in Malviya Nagar, New Delhi, India.- Officials say. pic.twitter.com/LyeUUb1S1a
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) June 3, 2026
In the Malviya Nagar incident, the fire brigade received information about the fire at 8.50 am. 10 vehicles of fire department reached the spot. The three people trapped in the basement were rescued safely, but it also took time. One officer was injured and one fell ill.
Photo of the incident site. Photo: PTI
Fifth reason, the biggest fuel for fire is present in the basement restaurant.
If there are restaurants in the basement, it serves as fuel for the fire. LPG cylinders, wooden furniture, plastic chairs kept here burn rapidly. Here, as the fire increases rapidly, the smoke also increases. If the same fire occurs on the upper floor, the air flow tries to stop the fire, but this relief is not available in the basement. Therefore the risk of death is greater.
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