New Delhi: A group of 11 civilians and Delhi Police personnel rescued dozens of occupants from a fire at a budget hotel in Malviya Nagar in South Delhi on Wednesday morning, before fire services arrived.
The fire broke out at Flourish Stay B&B around 8 am, triggering panic in the area as guests inside attempted to escape. Residents gathered outside as rescue efforts began.
According to those involved, the group of cousins entered the building without safety gear, forced open gates and began evacuating those trapped inside. They also assisted occupants trying to escape through windows.
“We reached here around 8 am and saw panic everywhere. Smoke had filled the entire building. Without any safety gear, we entered the premises, broke the gates and started bringing people out,” said Mohammad Afzal, one of the rescuers.
In one instance, a child who jumped from an upper floor was caught by people below. Mattresses were arranged from a nearby shop to cushion those attempting to jump.
“We rescued everyone we could and shifted them to Safdarjung Hospital. It was the most horrifying thing I have ever witnessed. Our only focus was to save as many lives as possible,” Afzal said.
Others involved in the civilian rescue effort were identified as Hazi Kallu, Wasim, Shoaib, Israr, Anees, Shahrukh, Aamir, Fazal, Faisal and Armaan.
Ten Delhi Police personnel also joined the rescue operation, entering smoke-filled areas to evacuate occupants and secure the premises.
Police said Head Constables Kartar, Hargyan, Prem Chand, Jitendra and Dinesh, along with Constables Raviranjan, Sandeep, Vikram, Deepak and Rampal, sustained injuries due to smoke exposure and were taken to AIIMS Trauma Centre. They were posted across Malviya Nagar Police Station, Neb Sarai Police Station and the PCR unit.
Firefighters later brought the blaze under control. Rescue teams entered the basement and evacuated three more persons, who were shifted to hospital in CATS ambulances.
Search operations continued through the day to ensure no one remained trapped.
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