When flames and thick smoke engulfed Flourish Stay B&B in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar on Wednesday morning, 11 cousins sprang into action. Without any protective gear, they rushed into the building and launched rescue operations even before emergency services arrived.
Speaking to The Tribune, Mohammad Afzal, one of the rescuers, said, “We reached here around 8 am after my father informed us about the incident and alerted the Station House Officer.”
“All of us have been here since morning. We rescued a child who jumped from an upper floor. We helped evacuate all the people trapped inside the hotel and shifted them to Safdarjung Hospital,” he said.
Recalling the incident, Afzal said, “We entered the premises without any safety equipment, broke open the gates and rescued people trapped inside.”
With his clothes blackened by smoke, Afzal described the incident as the most horrific thing he had ever seen. “We were focused on saving as many lives as possible and did not hesitate even once,” he added.
The rescuers included Mohammad Afzal, Hazi Kallu, Wasim, Shoaib, Israr, Anees, Shahrukh, Aamir, Fazal, Faisal and Armaan.
Meanwhile, firefighters entered the smoke-filled basement of the building and rescued three people trapped there. The victims were rushed to a hospital. Rescue teams subsequently expanded the operation and searched the premises for additional occupants.
Among the many heroes who battled the devastating blaze were 10 Delhi Police personnel who entered the danger zone to assist in rescue and evacuation efforts. While helping save lives amid thick smoke and intense heat, all 10 officers suffered smoke inhalation and other exposure-related injuries and were taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre.
The injured personnel were Head Constables Kartar, Hargyan, Prem Chand, Jitendra and Dinesh, along with Constables Raviranjan, Sandeep, Vikram, Deepak and Rampal. Five of them are posted at Malviya Nagar police station, four at Neb Sarai police station and one with the PCR unit.
Despite the risks and injuries, the police personnel remained at the scene until rescue operations were completed, helping ensure the safe evacuation of those trapped in the building.
The Tribune, now published from Chandigarh, started publication on February 2, 1881, in Lahore (now in Pakistan). It was started by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as trustees.
The Tribune, the largest selling English daily in North India, publishes news and views without any bias or prejudice of any kind. Restraint and moderation, rather than agitational language and partisanship, are the hallmarks of the newspaper. It is an independent newspaper in the real sense of the term.
The Tribune has two sister publications, Punjabi Tribune (in Punjabi) and Dainik Tribune (in Hindi).
Remembering Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia
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