Day After Horror, Hauz Rani Goes Into Shell

New Delhi: A day after the devastating fire in south Delhi’s Hauz Rani, the usually bustling locality wore a sombre look. Guest houses were shuttered, anxious tourists were waiting to retrieve their belongings and the crowd on the streets was noticeably thin.

Some hotel and guest house operators were seen removing signboards from outside their establishments. At least five to six B&Bs in the lane remained closed, leaving several tourists uncertain about where to stay.

Among those TOI talked to was Alphonse, an African staying in the area for the past week. Following the fire, he and the other guests were asked to vacate their rooms even as many of their belongings remained locked inside. Alphonse said his brother, Grace, survived the blaze by jumping from the second floor of Flourish Stay Bed & Breakfast.

Nearby, another family stood outside a locked guest house, repeatedly trying to contact the management. A woman said all their belongings were still inside.

Local shopkeeper Mahender Goel said owners of several guest houses shifted their patrons elsewhere and locked their establishments for now before leaving the area.

Gilbert, another African, arrived in Delhi around 10 months ago. “I came here with three family members and put up at a nearby hotel. Two of them are undergoing treatment — one for liver transplant and the other for hip replacement — at Max Hospital, Saket. We were supposed to stay here for at least two more months, but our hotel management has suddenly asked us to leave.”

Bilon Mukasa from Uganda said, “People prefer this locality because it is affordable and close to the hospital. Moving elsewhere in the city is difficult. Many of us come to India for treatment because it is comparatively affordable and the medical care is good. Hospitals should provide adequate accommodation facilities for attendants, especially since many foreigners come here for long-term treatment.”

TOI also spoke to some locals who rescued trapped guests on Wednesday. They recounted harrowing scenes that confronted them inside Flourish Stay. One of them broke open a bathroom door and found a woman on the toilet seat resting her head on the shoulder of a man sitting beside her on a chair. By then, both had perished inside the smoke-filled bathroom.

The first body that the locals found inside the burning B&B was of a young woman close to the reception. Then they spotted the body of a man in a wheelchair. Around eight people were trapped in the basement of the building and were burnt alive as the fire rapidly engulfed it, they said. “By the time we reached the second floor, it felt as though we, too, might not make it out alive,” said one of the locals.