NEW DELHI: A day after a fire in a Malviya Nagar hotel claimed 21 lives, survivors and grieving families continued to grapple with its aftermath at Saket’s Max Hospital on Thursday.
Among them was Vishal (32) from Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib, who is currently battling serious injuries after jumping from the burning building to save his life. Vishal had arrived in Delhi around eight days ago for treatment of a back injury and was undergoing physiotherapy at Max Hospital. To stay close to the hospital during his treatment, he had checked into the budget hotel where the fire broke out on Wednesday.
His brother Sagar waited outside the hospital anxiously on Thursday, recounting the terrifying moments: “My brother had been staying at the hotel for the last eight to 10 days while receiving treatment at Max Hospital. When the fire spread, he broke a window and jumped from an upper floor to save himself,” Sagar said. The fall left Vishal with multiple injuries. According to family members, he suffered a spinal fracture and deep wounds on his hands that required stitches. He remains under treatment at Max Hospital. Meanwhile, his family rushed to Delhi from Ludhiana as soon as they learnt about the incident.
Doctors have estimated his medical expenses at over Rs 90,000 so far. Yet, for the family, the financial burden is secondary to his survival. “We are grateful that he is alive. The hospital bill can be paid. Money comes and goes. What matters most is that he survived,” said Vijay Kumar, Vishal’s brother-in-law.
He also expressed shock over how a routine medical trip for physiotherapy had turned into a fight for survival for Vishal. As the 32-year-old recovers in a hospital bed, the scale of the tragedy was evident all around him. On Thursday, families were seen waiting outside wards seeking updates.
