A terrible fire at Flourish Stays, a bed-and-breakfast in South Delhi’s busy Hauz Rani area of Malviya Nagar, killed 21 people in the early hours of June 3rd. This included nine Indians and 12 foreign nationals. Smoke and flames consumed the building, leaving guests trapped with nowhere safe to go. However, amidst the panic, a local mattress shop owner and his son stepped up. Riyazuddin Mansuri and Armaan cleared their shop and laid out many new mattresses and quilts outside the burning building. They essentially created a softer place to land for those desperate enough to jump from the hotel’s upper floors. While the incident is one of the deadliest fires in Malviya Nagar, locals feel more people would’ve died had it not been for these two guys.
Race against time as trapped guests search for a way out
As panic spread through the hotel, people on the upper floors desperately looked for a way to escape. Armaan, whose family has operated a mattress shop opposite the property for nearly 40 years, rushed to the scene after hearing about the fire from a neighbour.
“I reached the spot after a neighbour informed me about the blaze at 8:30 am. The ground floor was on fire. Nobody could go inside and come out. People on the upper floors were shouting and asking if they should jump. I immediately brought out around 20 to 25 quilts and mattresses from the shop and spread them outside the building,” Armaan told PTI.
Mattresses become a lifesaving cushion during deadly blaze
Reports say that, according to the family, around 20 to 22 mattresses were laid on the road outside the hotel. Several quilts were stacked on top of one another to create a thick cushion. The arrangement allowed trapped occupants to jump from above and reduce the impact of the fall.
Witnesses said the mattresses became a crucial rescue tool as the fire continued to rage through the Malviya Nagar hotel. While firefighters and emergency teams worked to control the blaze, local residents stepped in to help those trapped inside. The mattress cushion gave some victims a chance to escape when other routes were blocked.
Family gives away everything despite suffering heavy losses
The rescue effort came at a significant financial cost. Riyazuddin said nearly Rs 2 lakh worth of goods from his shop were used during the operation. Yet he said helping people mattered far more than the money.
“I suffered a loss of about Rs 2 lakh. We also gave bedsheets that were used to bring out the dead bodies and the injured. We also gave quilt covers. We gave away all our goods, whatever we could get our hands on. On the grounds of humanity, everyone is the same, whether Hindu or Muslim. We are all Hindustani. It was my duty to help our brothers, whether he is Hindu or Muslim,” Riyazuddin said, as per reports
Social media praises local heroes of Malviya Nagar
The actions of the father and son quickly drew praise online. One social media user wrote, “As the fire was raging, people were ready to jump to escape the fire. This mattress shop guy, pulled out 20-22 new mattresses from his shop. Laid out on the road. And saved lives of absolute strangers. He knew nobody would pay him. Govt should compensate!”
Another post praised the efforts of local rescuers, saying, “Amir Khan, Mohd Shoaib, Wasim Raja and Mohd Afzal. These are the people who rescued people trapped in fire in Malviya Nagar risking their own lives. They reached there when the system failed to.”
Many others echoed similar sentiments. One user wrote, “Amid the deadly hotel fire in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, local residents helped save lives by laying mattresses and assisting people trapped inside. Sometimes, humanity arrives before help does.” Another added, “Humanity first, Salute to this shopkeeper Armaan of Malviya Nagar who laid out mattresses on the road to save the lives of people jumping from the windows of hotel during fire incident yesterday. Armaan owns a mattress shop near Flourish Inn.”
Also Read: Malviya Nagar Fire Update: Four Dead After Massive Blaze Engulfs Delhi Restaurant, 11 People Rescued
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
