NEW DELHI: A day after a devastating blaze at a hotel in a congested bylane of south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar snuffed out 21 lives on Wednesday, the site wore a deserted, wrapped in funereal silence as the area was cordoned off by police personnel.
Forensic teams were seen inspecting the premises cordoned off by the police. Most guest houses, homestays and shops remained shut. The mattresses used by locals to rescue people trapped in the fire the day before and debris of the Flourish Stay bed-and-breakfast facility in Hauz Rani stuck out as reminders of one of the deadliest fire tragedies in the national capital’s history.
Locals recalled seeing terrified guests trapped inside the hotel as flames rapidly engulfed the building. Mohammad Haji Isril, a long-time local resident, said the neighbourhood had never witnessed a tragedy of such magnitude before.
Highlighting the role locals played in saving lives, he expressed, “I was born and raised here, and the people of this area have always stood up for one another.”
“The moment the fire broke out, everyone rushed to help,” an emotional Isril recalls, adding, “Arman, who owns a mattress shop in the area, did not think twice before bringing out his mattresses and spreading them on the road to save lives. What he did was an act of humanity. We believe the government should consider compensating him for the financial loss he suffered while helping save lives.”
Another resident, Siraj, said the horrifying scenes he witnessed on Wednesday would remain etched in the minds of local residents forever. “The visuals of people jumping from the building to escape the flames, the structure engulfed in fire, and unconscious victims being carried out are something we can never forget,” he said with a shudder.
Describing the incident as one of the most tragic events the neighbourhood has ever witnessed, Siraj said the panic, chaos and desperation unfolding before their eyes left residents deeply shaken. “Many of us are still struggling to process what we saw,” he added.
Another witness, Shahdab, said that he was on his way to work when he noticed smoke billowing out of the hotel.
“We used whatever was available—mattresses, ladders and ropes—to help people escape the burning building. Once the firefighters managed to contain the blaze, we entered the hotel and found thick smoke lingering throughout the premises. Even then, desperate cries for help could still be heard from inside the rooms. While some had already succumbed, others were found unconscious and were rushed out for medical assistance,” he added.
A national from West Africa who was staying at the hotel said he was lucky that he wasn’t around when the blaze erupted. However, he lost several friends, including a Nigerian national, in the tragedy.