Locals witnessed the blaze spreading and people jumping from windows in a desperate bid to escape as the fire tragedy at a B&B in Delhi's Malviya Nagar unfolded on Wednesday morning, killing at least 21 people while many others were hospitalised for burn treatment.
The blaze at Flourish Stay B&B, near Max Hospital, was reported to the Delhi fire department at around 8:48 am on Wednesday, according to an official statement.
Through the coordinated efforts of Police, Fire Services, and other emergency responders, more than 40 persons have been rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals for medical treatment, Mittal stated.
Several of those killed are foreigners, mainly from Central Asia and Africa, PTI news agency quoted officials as saying.
Residents and officials stated that the BnB was used mostly by people who needed a place to stay while awaiting treatment at the nearby Max Hospital.
One resident told HT that the building, like many others in the area, lacked ventilation.
A Bangladesh resident said his brother narrowly escaped the tragedy as he stepped out just 10 minutes before the fire started.
A local resident named, Om, said he saw a very intense fire at around 9:30 am when he and his friend were on a scooter.
Another local, Sher Khan, recalled how first responders spread mattresses to save those jumping from the building as the blaze escalated from a small fire to a massive tragedy.
Fire officer AK Malik said that as soon as his team reached the site, it rescued 37 people from the building, which was housing people who were being treated at the Max hospital.
