NEW DELHI: At least 21 people have died and several others were injured after a massive fire swept through a hotel building in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar area on Wednesday morning, triggering a large-scale rescue operation and scenes of panic among residents and relatives searching for loved ones.The blaze broke out at Flourish Stay B&B, a building that reportedly had only a single entry-exit route. The cause of the fire is yet to be established. Delhi Fire Service (DFS) officials said they received a call about the fire at around 8.50am and rushed multiple fire tenders to the scene. Rescue efforts involved the DFS, Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), police and ambulance services.According to officials, three people were rescued from the basement and shifted to hospital through CATS ambulances, while several others were evacuated from the building.AIIMS officials said multiple patients had been admitted following the incident."We received 13 patients, including 3 patients who fell from a height and are in a critical condition, and 10 persons who were rescued by Delhi Police," an AIIMS official said.Residents describe frantic rescue attemptsAs the flames spread through the multi-storey building, residents described desperate attempts to save those trapped inside.Local resident Sher Khan said people tried to help occupants escape as the fire intensified."I was going to the shop in the morning. There was a small fire here at first, then it kept increasing. As the fire increased, it seemed as if there was no way to jump from here. People spread mattresses, and some from the 3rd floor jumped on it with a little kid. She was saying that she fractured her leg. The public made a lot of effort. However, the situation becomes intense as time passes."Another eyewitness, Wasim Raj from Hauz Rani village, said local people quickly arranged mattresses on the road to cushion those forced to jump from upper floors."The fire broke out at about 8.50 am. We rushed to the spot to see that the entire building was on fire. There is a mattress shop at the corner from where we took out mattresses and laid them on the road. People started to jump out of the building from second and third floor. The fire fighting team had reached the spot immediately and started rescue work."Resident Om also recalled seeing people leap from the building as smoke and flames engulfed the structure."At around 9.30am, we saw there was a very intense fire here. My friend and I were on a scooter at that time, the entire fire was raging, and people were jumping from the building from here and there. We saw about 5 people jumping. One person also broke their leg. The entire road was blocked here. There was a crowd."Families struggle to identify victimsHours later, anxious relatives gathered at Max Hospital in Saket, where victims were being treated and identified.The hospital's waiting area was filled with people scanning lists, making frantic phone calls and seeking information from officials."We can't recognise them by looking at pictures; it's unrecognisable. Everyone is severely burnt," (Photo se pehchaan me nahi aa rha koi, sab jale hue hain) one of the relatives said while sobbing.Among those waiting was Namit Goel, who said six of his relatives had been caught in the fire. Four bodies had been identified, but two were still unaccounted for."Four bodies are in Max Saket mortuary and two bodies are in another hospital. We are trying to locate them," he said.According to family members, the six relatives had travelled from Gurgaon for medical treatment and were staying at the hotel when the fire broke out.Elsewhere in the hospital, Vivek searched for his 25-year-old friend Sujita, who was believed to be among those affected."Can't recognise her, her phone is also not traceable," he said.Death toll rises to 21While initial reports suggested a lower number of casualties, Delhi Police later confirmed that 20 people had died. Subsequent updates put the death toll at 21.According to ANI, out of 21, 17 killed are foreigners.Officials said several injured people remain admitted to hospitals and are undergoing treatment.Fire department details rescue operationFire officer AK Malik said firefighters rescued dozens of people from the building."The Fire Department received the call at 8.50 AM. Initially, seven fire tenders were dispatched to the scene. More vehicles were on their way, but eventually, all the required units arrived. As soon as our team reached the site, they immediately rescued 37 people from the building. This is a multi-story building. It consists of a basement, a ground floor, and five upper floors.""Based on inquiries made with people at the site, we have gathered that this building does not function as a standalone residential complex. Rather, it appears that most of the occupants were individuals whose known people were being treated in the MAX Hospital located directly across the street. Therefore, it is likely that these individuals were staying here for that specific purpose.""Yes, foreign nationals were also among the occupants. The fire was brought under control quite early on—it was contained very quickly. We have now cleared the building, and opened it up for the police," he added.A political row Local MLA Satish Upadhyay said all emergency agencies were mobilised immediately after information about the fire was received."This is an unfortunate incident. It happened at around 9:00 am. As soon as we were informed about the fire, our immediate response was to activate the entire system. We contacted the Disaster Management team, the District Magistrate (DM) of our area, the Station House Officer (SHO), the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), and the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the Municipal Corporation (MCD).""We mobilised all the concerned authorities, and I personally came to the spot as well. The exact cause of the fire will be known only after a proper investigation. The local residents have also helped a lot during this difficult time. More detailed information will be available later. We are gathering complete details from the administrative officials," he added.AAP leader Somnath Bharti, however, alleged that fire brigade personnel reached the scene with a delay."A total of 27 people have been rescued so far. Out of them, I believe seven were found dead. The exact status will be known once we receive confirmation from the hospital as to whether anyone could be revived or not. Overall, the situation has been extremely tragic and horrific. Some people are still trapped in the upper room," he said."This building was operating as a hotel, it was previously a Khadi Gram building. Two more bodies have been recovered. It is a deeply distressing day for all of us. The most unfortunate aspect is that the fire brigade arrived nearly an hour later, at least 50 minutes after the incident was reported.""Everyone worked tirelessly during the rescue operation, but there was no alternative exit route, so people had very limited means of escape. Seven people were rescued by breaking through the basement area. The manner in which this incident occurred is extremely painful and heartbreaking," he added.Investigation under wayDelhi Police has registered an FIR under the culpable homicide section and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).The owner of the building remains absconding.