New Delhi: Nearly 20 critical minutes may have been lost in the response to the Hauz Rani bed-and-breakfast (B&B) fire that killed 21 people, including 12 foreign nationals, after the nearest fire station was unable to dispatch a fire tender because of an ongoing fire-control operation and a shortage of personnel, officials familiar with the matter said.Delhi police personnel keep a vigil at the spot a day after a fire at the Flourish Stay B&B in Malviya Nagar killed at least 21 people. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)The Geetanjali fire station, located barely 400-500 metres from Flourish Stay, was the closest fire station to the scene. But when calls reporting the blaze were made on Wednesday morning, one of its two fire tenders had been deployed to Jaunapur to tackle a garbage fire, while the second vehicle remained parked because there were no firefighters available to operate it, officials said.Chief fire officer (CFO) AK Malik said the fire control room received a call at 7.34 am on Wednesday about a garbage fire at Jaunapur, near Jawahar Colony in south Delhi’s Mandi village.“One fire tender (SWT-25) from Geetanjali fire station was deployed which returned at 9.55 am,” said Malik.According to the CFO, SWT-25 is the only fire tender posted at the Geetanjali fire station. However, two fire tenders were found stationed at the fire station when HT visited the site on Wednesday and Thursday. The firemen present also confirmed deployment of two fire tenders, including a fire water bowser.As a result, the first firefighting response had to come from stations farther away – those at Nehru Place and Bhikaji Cama Place, located around 5km and 9km from the site respectively. Four fire tenders were dispatched - two each from Nehru Place and Bhikaji Cama Place.The DFS is grappling with a severe shortage, of over 6,600 personnel—a shortage of over 72.5% against a requirement of 9,123 personnel—according to documents accessed by HT.Officials said local residents informed police and fire authorities about the blaze at around 8.48am. The first fire tenders reached the scene between 9.10am and 9.15am, by which time the fire had already spread through large parts of the building and dozens of guests were trapped inside.The fire tender and personnel from Geetanjali, meanwhile, were diverted directly from the Jaunapur operation and reached Hauz Rani only after 10am, officials said. By then, firefighters, police personnel and local residents had already rescued several occupants, and the blaze had largely been brought under control.Several residents alleged that fire services arrived late and that precious time was lost during the initial stages of the emergency. “When the fire trucks arrived, the building was already engulfed in flames,” said one local resident who participated in rescue efforts. “People were trapped on the upper floors and smoke had filled the staircase.”On Thursday, HT visited the Geetanjali fire station, located adjacent to the Malviya Nagar police station. Two fire vehicles, including a fire browser, were parked inside the premises.A firefighter present at the station, who declined to be identified, confirmed that the first call had been routed to Geetanjali. “One fire tender with five firefighters had already gone to Jaunapur for a garbage fire,” he said. “We only have six personnel posted at this station. Because of the shortage of staff, there was nobody available to operate the second vehicle.”A recent proposal sent by the DFS to the home departament mentioned that the current strength of the fire department is around 2,500 personnel, operating across 71 fire stations in Delhi. While the DFS has said 9,123 personnel are required, officials said the requirement is based on a 24-hour shift. Based on the recommended 8-hour shift model, this equates to a shortage of 24,869 personnel (around 90.8%).The Geetanjali station began functioning only three to four months ago and remains one of the newest additions to Delhi’s firefighting network.With the nearest station unable to respond, the control room diverted the emergency call to Nehru Place and Bhikaji Cama Place.Fire experts said the delay highlights a long-standing problem within Delhi Fire Services (DFS), which has repeatedly flagged manpower shortages despite rising fire incidents across the city.Former DFS director Atul Garg said the first few minutes after a fire breaks out are often decisive.“These are what firefighters call the ‘golden minutes’. Prompt intervention during this period can prevent the fire from spreading, limit damage and significantly improve the chances of rescuing people trapped inside,” Garg said.He said it is standard practice to dispatch fire tenders from neighbouring stations, but he described the inability to deploy an available fire vehicle because of a shortage of personnel as a matter of concern. “If a fire tender was physically available at the nearest fire station but could not be sent because there were no firefighters to operate it, that is a serious issue and needs immediate attention,” he said.Police officials said the circumstances surrounding the response have raised questions about manpower deployment and resource availability within the city’s firefighting system.