New Delhi [India], June 3 (ANI): At least 21 people lost their lives while more than 40 others were rescued after a massive fire broke out at a hotel-cum-guest house in Delhi's Malviya Nagar area on Wednesday morning, officials said.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as flames rapidly engulfed the multi-storey building, forcing several occupants to jump from upper floors in a desperate attempt to save themselves.

A resident, Sher Khan, said the fire initially appeared minor before spreading rapidly across the building.

'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 escape. People spread mattresses on the ground, and some people from the third floor jumped onto them with a little child. One woman said she had fractured her leg. The public made a lot of effort to help, but the situation became more intense as time passed,' Khan told ANI.

Another local resident, Om, recalled seeing people jumping from the building as the blaze intensified.

'At around 9:30 am, we saw a very intense fire here. My friend and I were on a scooter at that time. The entire building was engulfed in flames and people were jumping from different sides. We saw around five people jumping. One person also broke a leg. The entire road was blocked and there was a huge crowd,' he told ANI.

According to Delhi Police, more than 15 foreign nationals were among those who died in the incident.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Anant Mittal, said information regarding the fire at Flourish Stay B&B in Malviya Nagar was received at 8:48 am, following which police personnel and emergency services rushed to the spot.

He added that rescue and search operations were still underway and all concerned agencies remained deployed at the site to provide assistance to those affected.

'Today, at 08:48 AM, information was received regarding a fire at Flourish Stay B&B, Malviya Nagar. Local police staff immediately reached the spot and commenced rescue, evacuation, and relief operations. The fire has been successfully extinguished with the assistance of 8 fire tenders. Through the coordinated efforts of Police, Fire Services, and other emergency responders, more than 40 persons have been rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. It is with profound sorrow that 21 persons have been declared dead in this tragic incident. Rescue and search operations are still underway, and all concerned agencies remain deployed at the spot to ensure every possible assistance to those affected,' he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Malviya Nagar, Satish Upadhyay, said prompt action by emergency responders helped prevent the tragedy from becoming even more severe. He further said that several occupants of the guest house were foreign nationals, including people from Bangladesh and other SAARC countries, who had come to Delhi for medical treatment and were staying at the B&B located opposite a major hospital.

'This incident occured at 8.51 am. We are here isnce 9am. Within no time, the fire department and rescuers responded. The Police and locals helped in rescuing people. So far, 47 people have been rescued. There are 21 casualties. It is a matter of investigation how the fire broke out. It is a very sad incident. The govt agencies are involved in a search and rescue mission. If the agencies had not responded on time, the incident could have been of greater intensity. There were Bangladeshis and people from SAARC countries who came here for medical treatment and stayed in BnB,' he told ANI. (ANI)