NEW DELHI: Riyazuddin Mansuri, a local mattress trader who emptied his shop to help people trapped in the fire, has sought Rs 2 lakh in compensation from the government for losses incurred during the rescue operation.Mansuri and his son Arman joined the rescue efforts. They piled quilts and mattresses outside the hotel to help those trapped inside who were attempting to escape by jumping from the windows.“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,” Arman said on Wednesday.“Around eight people jumped onto them and survived,” Mansuri added.“We suffered a loss of more than Rs 2 lakh. We gave away everything, mattresses, quilts, bedsheets and whatever material was available. The injured and even some bodies were brought out using our bedsheets,” Arman said.“The hotel owners made money, but it is their negligence that has left us bearing the cost. The government should at least compensate those who stepped forward during the rescue,” Mansuri said.Mansuri’s family-run mattress shop is located opposite the Flourish Stay bed-and-breakfast hotel, news agency PTI reported.A fire at the Flourish Stay hotel in the Hauz Rani area of Malviya Nagar on Tuesday killed 21 people, including 12 foreign nationals, and left dozens injured. Several trapped occupants smashed window panes and cried for help as smoke quickly filled the building.(With agency inputs)
