‘Risked my life to save colleagues’: Staffer injured in Delhi hotel fire seeks aid

For Rohit Mukhiya, June 3 began like any other work day at Flourish Stays B&B in Hauz Rani.

By 8 am, however, the 26-year-old found himself trapped inside the burning building after an air fryer caught fire in the ground-floor kitchen. He managed to escape, saving two colleagues in the process, but suffered serious injuries after jumping from the first floor.

Mukhiya later underwent spinal surgery and is now confined to his home, unable to work.

Speaking to The Indian Express on Tuesday, two weeks after the blaze, Mukhiya said, “I was washing utensils in the kitchen. Kesar Negi, the cook, was also there; the manager, Rupesh, was near the reception. When I looked up, I noticed a fire had broken out in the air fryer.”

Mukhiya said Rupesh told him to quickly bring a wet towel to contain the flames. “But it didn’t help. Soon, there were sparks and flames spread rapidly across the kitchen,” he said.

He said staff attempted to use a fire extinguisher, but, by then, the blaze had spread to the ground floor, which housed the reception and a cafeteria.

Police investigations later revealed that the six-storey hotel was allegedly operating 26 rooms despite having permission to run only six rooms as a bed-and-breakfast establishment. Police have arrested owner Lavkesh Bajaj, cook Kesar Negi, and accountant Jay Mishra. Rupesh remains absconding.

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A total of 23 people, including 14 foreign nationals, who were staying in the hotel died in the fire.

The trio initially tried to escape via the staircase but were forced back by thick smoke and flames.

(Express Photo)

The escape

As the fire intensified, Mukhiya said he remembered two housekeeping staff, Kundan and Raj, were working on the first floor, cleaning rooms. “I immediately ran to warn them about the fire.”

The trio initially tried to escape via the staircase but were forced back by thick smoke and flames.

“The fire had spread to the first floor and we were trapped inside a room,” Mukhiya recalled.

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Realising they had no safe exit, he led the two men into the bathroom. “Using a bucket, I broke the window and started shouting for help,” he said.

The men then decided to jump. Residents gathered below and placed mattresses on the ground to cushion their fall.

“Raj and Kundan jumped one after the other. By then, the flames were licking the walls of the bathroom as well,” he said.

Mukhiya then made his own escape. “But when I jumped, my leg got cut by the broken window. I ended up landing on the road and injured my back,” he said.

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That’s the last thing he remembered before losing consciousness.

Residents rushed him to Max Hospital on a motorcycle, where doctors performed spinal surgery.

No help has arrived

A week later, Mukhiya was discharged and is now confined to a bed at his rented home in Khirki Extension.

“Ddoctors told me they inserted two metal bolts in my back. I don’t know whether I will be able to walk properly again,” he said.

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Originally from Bihar’s East Champaran district, Mukhiya lives with his wife and two sons, aged 9 and 13. He had been working at the hotel for the past two years, earning Rs 12,000 a month.

Before the hotel gig which his friend helped him land, he worked as a security guard in Khirki Extension.

The sole breadwinner, Mukhiya said he is struggling to support his family. “I have no money to feed my wife and children. I have received no assistance from either the government or the hotel management, apart from the hospital expenses paid by the administration,” he said.

He added that an NGO volunteer, Shabana Khan, is supporting the family by arranging meals.

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Mukhiya said he has already given his statement to police, detailing the sequence of events that morning.

“I risked my life to save others,” he said. “Now I only hope the government will help take care of my family.”