Delhi hotel fire: Locals turn saviors amid wails, screams and burning bodies

Police personnel at the scene of a fire at a restaurant in Malviya Nagar, New Delhi on June 3, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI

As thick smoke engulfed a five-storey bed and breakfast hotel in Delhi’s Hauz Rani area on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) morning, locals rushed to rescue the trapped residents before firefighters arrived.

The fire, which broke out around 8:30 a.m., spread through three floors of the building, leaving several guests trapped inside amid thick smoke and panic. The business reportedly had only one common entry and exit point and no emergency stairway.

Update on Delhi hotel fire on June 3, 2026

Riyazuddin, 61, who runs a roadside shop opposite the building, said he quickly pulled out mattresses from his shed and spread them under the building’s windows to help people jump to safety.

Moments later, trapped residents began jumping out windows to escape the flames. Not all rooms had windows, while some were stuck and unbreakable.

“I spread about 15 mattresses. One man who fell from the second floor broke his leg. Everything was extremely tense,” said Riyazuddin.

Later, Mohammed Israr Khan, another resident, also helped push people out of the window. Mr Khan, 40, rushed to the spot after receiving a call from his brother around 8.40am. Along with Wasim, Amir, Shahrukh, Afzal, Hazi and Anish, he helped pull out the victims and carry them to the ambulances.

Due to its proximity to Max Hospital, the location has many hotels that are used by patients and their families visiting the capital for treatment. Locals also said most of the residents are foreign nationals on medical visas.

“When we entered the building with the police and rescue teams, we saw nothing. There was only smoke, screams and wailing from every floor,” Mr Khan said, adding: “Many were trapped in the basement. Some bodies were still burning, but we used our bare hands. Time is critical in such situations.”

Mr Khan said he performed CPR on eight people. “I threw up several times. It was a death sight. About five people we brought out were already dead,” he said. As Mr Khan assisted in the rescue, the victim’s phone rang. “It was the mother of the person asking about her child. I couldn’t say anything and handed the phone over to the police. I didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news,” he said.

Rescuers said the building’s single point of entry and exit and the lack of available windows made the rescue operation difficult. Some volunteers and police officers reportedly collapsed after inhaling smoke.

Wasim Raja, another local resident, said he found two women unconscious in the bathroom where they had locked themselves to escape the fire. “I carried them out myself on a mattress. Most of the people who stayed there were already weak and had come to Delhi for treatment.”

“A mother and her child bought medicine from me yesterday. They were supposed to travel to Agra today. I don’t know if they made it,” said a local pharmacist, whose shop has been in the narrow lane for over 27 years.

Hours after the fire was put out, panic reigned in the neighborhood, where many such high-rise hotels are located in narrow streets criss-crossed by dangling electric wires. Several guests from nearby lodges checked out with their luggage, fearing safety in similar buildings, many of which have only one staircase and lack firefighting equipment.

Among them was a man who had flown in from Lucknow after hearing news of the fire. “My father is staying here for treatment and cannot speak. I was supposed to arrive tomorrow, but as soon as I heard the news with the name of the hotel, I took the first flight because it sounded similar to where my father lives,” he said.

Published – 03 Jun 2026 22:44 IST