India, June 3 -- A cylinder blast caused the massive fire at an eatery at south Delhi's Malviya Nagar, which then snowballed into a deadly blaze, killing at least 21 so far, according to an official statement from Max Hospital.

In a statement, Max Hospital, Saket Complex, said it received 39 patients at its Emergency Department following the "cylinder blast incident".

"Upon arrival, all patients underwent immediate clinical assessment and were managed by multidisciplinary teams in accordance with established emergency response protocols. The patients presented with asphyxiation and varying degrees of minor burn injuries and fractures," the hospital said.

According to the statement, 18 of the 39 patients were brought dead, while 15 have...