I have no material left in my shop: Mattress seller who became lifesaver

As flames engulfed the Flourish Inn hotel in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar on Wednesday morning, 27-year-old Armaan Mansoori did not think twice before turning his small mattress and blanket shop into a rescue operation.

By the time the fire was brought under control, much of the stock in his roadside store had been used to save trapped guests desperate to escape the inferno. The shop is located directly opposite the Flourish Inn hotel.

“I have no material left in my shop. We used everything to save people,” Mansoori said on Thursday, standing outside the tin-shed store directly opposite the gutted hotel.

The shop, established by his father Riyazuddin in the 1990s, sells cotton mattresses and blankets sourced from Panipat and nearby areas. For the past three to four years, Armaan has been helping run the family business. Speaking about monetary losses, Mansoori believed that money would come back, but those screaming for help were of utmost importance.

When smoke and flames began spreading through the building, Mansoori and dozens of residents rushed to help before emergency services could reach those trapped inside. Mansoori received a call from a friend who alerted him about the fire. He rushed to the spot and started rescuing the hotel guests before the multi-agency operation began. According to these local first responders, they saved close to 11-12 people.

“We didn’t want anyone to die and did everything to save all,” he said. Mansoori also mentioned that if he hadn’t reached the spot in time, his shop could have been in the line of fire.

Using blankets and mattresses tied together, residents created makeshift rescue lines to bring people down from upper floors. According to Mansoori, some victims were considerably taller and heavier than the rescuers. “Even though some of the African people were taller than us, we used three to five blankets to bring them down safely,” he recalled.

The rescue, however, came at a high emotional cost.

“Our local people went up to three floors, and the scenes were unimaginable. They will probably stay in my memory forever,” he said. “We saw people holding each other who had died. When we tried to help some victims, their skin came onto our hands.”

The horrific images have continued to haunt him. “I took medicines and tried sleeping at night. I feel relief that we were able to help, but mostly remorse.

 I wish we could have done more. Thankfully, we were able to save people.”

Mansoori’s parents worried about the risks he was taking. “They told us to first take care of ourselves before helping others,” he said. “But how could we stand and watch?”

Among those who joined the rescue effort was resident Zahid Khan, an Arabic translator who often assists foreign nationals visiting India for medical treatment. Speaking to The Pioneer, Zahid became emotional and teary-eyed, recalling the events of Wednesday morning.

“This is our home, our area, and we will do everything to save it,” Khan said. “Hauz Rani is a peaceful and safe area. Unfortunately, so many foreigners who came to India for medical care died in this accident.”

Another resident, Aamir Khan, suffered minor burns and injuries while helping victims.

“My hands are slightly burnt, and my feet have glass shards. I haven’t slept even a bit since yesterday,” he said. “The horrors of yesterday will forever haunt me.”

Aamir said the volunteers were not seeking recognition for their actions. “We don’t want fame or any credit. This effort was done out of sheer selflessness to save people and not to become a hero.”

He also questioned whether authorities could have prevented the tragedy. “Proper checks should have been conducted,” he said.

For Mansoori, the loss of stock and business is insignificant compared to the lives saved. An only son with four sisters, he says the memories of the rescue will remain with him long after his shop is restocked.” The only thing in our minds was saving people,” he said. “Nothing else mattered.”