Police rescue five as fire breaks out at hotel in Central Delhi

By the time police arrived, the ground-floor reception area identified as the point of origin was fully engulfed, and dense smoke had rapidly filled the hotel’s 18 rooms, trapping guests on the upper floors, officers said. As the flames blocked the main entrance, conventional evacuation became impossible, police added.

“Assessing the danger, the police team devised an alternative rescue strategy. Constables Feru, Sanjay and Mukul entered the adjoining Hotel Chanchal, climbed to its rooftop, and crossed over to the roof of the burning hotel,” the DCP added.

Three guests were found stranded on a balcony, separated from the neighbouring hotel by an iron grill and glass barrier, police said. With fire closing in, the policemen broke through the obstruction and safely moved the guests to the adjacent balcony, from where they were rescued with the assistance of the fire department, officers added.

In another rescue, two guests asleep inside a second-floor room were saved after police broke open the door, officers said. According to police, eight individuals were also evacuated from the third and fourth floors, with the injured brought down through the adjacent building and rushed to hospital after receiving first aid.

Eleven fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze, while the Station House Officer (SHO) of Nabi Karim coordinated closely with the Delhi Fire Service (DFS), PCR vans and ambulance services, police said.

The fire was extinguished after several hours, and an investigation into the exact cause is underway, officers added.