When official systems fail during disasters, ordinary citizens often perform remarkable acts. On Wednesday morning a severe fire swept through the Flourish Stay B&B in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, claiming at least 21 lives and injuring many others. Local people quickly became rescuers, risking their safety to help those trapped inside.
The blaze started in the five-storey establishment in the Hauz Rani locality. Dense smoke filled the structure, forcing guests to call for assistance or leap from upper windows.
Before professional teams reached the site, nearby residents arrived and began improvised efforts. Mohammad Afzal recounted how he and his brothers collected mattresses from a nearby store to soften landings for those jumping. Some succeeded, while others could not. As flames grew stronger, they contacted authorities. Once firefighters gained control, the group entered to bring out remaining occupants.
The mattresses originated from a shop called Arman’s. Its owner allowed their use despite potential damage. Bedsheets were also taken to carry injured individuals downstairs without proper stretchers.
Waseem Raja, employed at Max Hospital, applied his medical training to treat smoke inhalation cases. He performed CPR both inside the building and during transport, updating his workplace throughout. Victims showed no burn injuries but had lost consciousness from smoke; their faces appeared darkened. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was given despite concerns, saving several lives.
Another local resident trained in firefighting joined immediately upon arrival around 8:45 a.m. The area was already crowded, yet the group started extraction work alongside arriving fire services. Most victims were foreign nationals.
A father and son from a mattress shop also contributed by emptying their stock onto the street to assist jumps from the burning structure.
