Laid mattresses, they jumped: How father-son duo saved 8 lives in Delhi hotel fire
Riyazuddin Mansuri and his son Armaan Mansuri, who run a mattress shop in Hauz Rani area, helped people escape the Delhi hotel fire by laying mattresses on the road.
As a devastating fire tore through a hotel in Delhi's Malviya Nagar area, claiming 21 lives, a father-son duo emerged as unlikely heroes after their quick thinking helped save several people trapped inside the burning building.
Riyazuddin Mansuri and his son Armaan Mansuri, who run a mattress shop near the Hotel Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani, rushed to help when they saw guests struggling to escape the flames on Wednesday morning.
As smoke engulfed the five-storey building and people began jumping from upper floors in a desperate bid to survive, the duo emptied their shop and spread mattresses across the road below, creating a makeshift landing cushion for those forced to leap from windows.
Videos from the incident, widely shared on social media, captured several people jumping from the building as flames spread rapidly through the structure. According to eyewitnesses, many of those survivors were able to escape because of the mattresses laid out by the father and son.
"I saved the lives of eight people by laying down mattresses from my shop on the road when I saw people jumping off the building. We also provided sheets to cover the bodies. The Fire Brigade had arrived on time. We rescued over 20 people," Riyazuddin Mansuri said.
The shop owner said he did not think about the financial loss to his business when he realised people trapped inside the hotel had no safe way out. He said the mattresses were immediately brought onto the street to soften the impact on those jumping from the building.
The duo also assisted authorities after the fire was brought under control by providing sheets from their shop to cover the bodies of victims recovered from the building.
The fire at the Flourish Stay B&B began around 8.30 am on Wednesday and quickly engulfed the narrow building, which officials said had only one entry-exit point, sealed windows and a sensor-operated main door. Rescue teams and local residents joined efforts to pull out those trapped inside.
At least 58 people were rescued and taken to hospitals, while 21 were declared dead. The victims included 12 foreign nationals who were staying at the hotel while attending to relatives undergoing treatment at nearby hospitals.
Officials have alleged that the establishment was operating without a fire No-Objection Certificate (NOC). They also said that the hotel had permission for only six rooms but was allegedly running around 25 rooms, including some in the basement. Authorities are also examining whether additional floors had been constructed without approval.
Meanwhile, police have arrested hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj and registered a case, including charges of culpable homicide.
As a devastating fire tore through a hotel in Delhi's Malviya Nagar area, claiming 21 lives, a father-son duo emerged as unlikely heroes after their quick thinking helped save several people trapped inside the burning building.
Riyazuddin Mansuri and his son Armaan Mansuri, who run a mattress shop near the Hotel Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani, rushed to help when they saw guests struggling to escape the flames on Wednesday morning.
As smoke engulfed the five-storey building and people began jumping from upper floors in a desperate bid to survive, the duo emptied their shop and spread mattresses across the road below, creating a makeshift landing cushion for those forced to leap from windows.
Videos from the incident, widely shared on social media, captured several people jumping from the building as flames spread rapidly through the structure. According to eyewitnesses, many of those survivors were able to escape because of the mattresses laid out by the father and son.
"I saved the lives of eight people by laying down mattresses from my shop on the road when I saw people jumping off the building. We also provided sheets to cover the bodies. The Fire Brigade had arrived on time. We rescued over 20 people," Riyazuddin Mansuri said.
The shop owner said he did not think about the financial loss to his business when he realised people trapped inside the hotel had no safe way out. He said the mattresses were immediately brought onto the street to soften the impact on those jumping from the building.
The duo also assisted authorities after the fire was brought under control by providing sheets from their shop to cover the bodies of victims recovered from the building.
The fire at the Flourish Stay B&B began around 8.30 am on Wednesday and quickly engulfed the narrow building, which officials said had only one entry-exit point, sealed windows and a sensor-operated main door. Rescue teams and local residents joined efforts to pull out those trapped inside.
At least 58 people were rescued and taken to hospitals, while 21 were declared dead. The victims included 12 foreign nationals who were staying at the hotel while attending to relatives undergoing treatment at nearby hospitals.
Officials have alleged that the establishment was operating without a fire No-Objection Certificate (NOC). They also said that the hotel had permission for only six rooms but was allegedly running around 25 rooms, including some in the basement. Authorities are also examining whether additional floors had been constructed without approval.
Meanwhile, police have arrested hotel owner Lavkesh Bajaj and registered a case, including charges of culpable homicide.
