South Delhi hotel fire: Two women jump from burning building to escape fire that killed 21 | Shocking Video | Today’s news
South Delhi fire: Desperate to save themselves from being engulfed by the fire, at least two women in South Delhi’s Hauz Rani area jumped from one of the upper floors of a building.
Shocking footage has emerged from the scene of the fire that broke out on Wednesday morning, leaving at least 21 dead, most of them foreigners. The fire, which reportedly started on the ground floor of one dining room, soon spread to other floors of the five-story building.
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According to an NDTV report, two women jumped from the burning building onto the road outside the hotel when the structure was engulfed in flames. Residents in the area quickly came to their aid, using mattresses placed on the ground to cushion their fall and help those trapped inside.
Here’s what we know
The incident took place at Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani, a congested locality in Malviya Nagar. The PTI news agency, citing officials, said several of those killed were foreigners, mainly from Central Asian and African countries. Officials believe the death toll is likely to rise as many of the injured are in critical condition. Relatives of patients treated at a nearby private hospital were among those rescued.
Earlier today, officials said the fire started around 8:30 a.m. at the nearby Lemon Green restaurant, but police later clarified that it started in the hotel building.
According to fire officer AK Malik, the building has a basement, ground floor and five upper floors. The restaurant operated on the ground floor, while the rest of the building was used as a hotel.
Citing police sources, PTI said the hotel had only one entry and exit point and the fire at the NOC property is now under scrutiny.
The building suffered extensive damage in the fire, with debris, broken glass and charred materials scattered around. A large crowd gathered near the site as authorities closed off the area and diverted traffic to facilitate rescue operations.
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Rescue operation completed
Authorities have so far rescued at least 40 people and taken them to hospitals, where 21 were pronounced dead. An AIIMS source noted that the hospital admitted 13 patients, three of whom sustained injuries after falling, while 10 were paramedics.
Several teams from the Delhi Fire Service, the police and disaster response units searched the smoke-blackened structure for survivors. Victims were seen being pulled from the building and taken to hospitals by ambulance. Video footage from the scene showed rescuers evacuating people from the basement of the building.
The rescue operation is over and the building has been closed for police investigation, news agency PTI reported.
Eyewitnesses recall the horror
An eyewitness said he noticed flames and smoke billowing from the building around 9:30 a.m. while walking through the area. “I saw four to six people breaking the glass and jumping from the building to escape the fire. One person apparently had a broken leg after falling,” he said.
According to eyewitnesses, local residents played a key role in rescue efforts before the arrival of emergency services. A mattress vendor spread mattresses on the ground to cushion the fall of people while others performed CPR on injured victims.
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Residents also claimed that the building, which functioned as a hotel, used to house a Khadi Bhandar and was often used by relatives of patients undergoing treatment at a nearby private hospital.
Some locals claimed that there was only one exit from the building and claimed that firemen reached the spot almost an hour after the fire broke out. These claims could not be independently verified.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
