When thick smoke and flames engulfed a hotel and shrieks for help filled the air, a mattress trader opposite the fire-wrecked hotel in Malviya Nagar on Wednesday made a split-second decision: He sacrificed goods worth nearly Rs 2 lakh, laying out a makeshift safety net that helped save lives.After rushing to the scene with his staff, Riyazuddin Mansuri spread dozens of quilts and mattresses on the ground outside the burning building, creating a cushion that allowed trapped residents to jump to safety.Riyazuddin said they were the first to put out the mattresses and by the time the fire brigade arrived, they had already saved 8 lives, adding that he and his son sustained injuries during the rescue.A fire that broke out at the Flourish Stay bed-and-breakfast hotel in the congested Hauz Rani area of Malviya Nagar killed at least 21 people, including 11 foreigners. The hotel largely catered to patients visiting the nearby Max Hospital. Nineteen of the 35 injured remained in critical condition across hospitals in Delhi, according to officials.As the fire spread rapidly, several occupants were seen breaking window panes and calling for help.Trader Riyazuddin’s son Arman said, “I reached the spot after a neighbour informed me about the blaze at 8.30 am. The ground floor was on fire. Nobody could go inside, and come out. 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’s family, who run the mattress shop opposite the hotel for around four decades, said several quilts and mattresses were stacked on top of one another so that people who jumped on them don’t get hurt.“Around eight people jumped onto them and were safe. Only a few suffered minor injuries,” he said.Eyewitnesses said scenes of panic unfolded as smoke filled the building. They said a woman jumped from the third floor with her child in her arms while other occupants desperately searched for ways to escape, and at that time the mattresses came in handy for some.Riyazuddin said, “I suffered about Rs 2 lakh loss. We also gave bedsheets that were used to bring out the dead bodies and the injured. We also gave quilt covers. We gave away all our goods, whatever we could get our hands on. On the grounds of humanity, everyone is the same, whether Hindu or Muslim. We all are Hindustani. It was my duty to help our brothers, whether he is Hindu or Muslim.”Arman said that had the fire not been brought under control in time, it could have affected my shop as well. “Emergency services reached the spot quickly and assisted in the rescue operation. Everyone arrived on time and helped us a lot,” he said.