NEW DELHI: As the thick smoke billowed out of the Tughlakabad building on Friday, 16-year-old Anshu Sharma refused to be a quiet spectator. She woke up at around 2.15 am and stepped onto her balcony only to see flames engulfing the building. She woke her father Saurabh and informed him about the incident. Realising that residents were trapped on the third floor, Anshu rolled up a saree and threw it towards them.
It was one of the many stories of bravery that emerged from the tragedy. Anshu Sharma’s swift response helped save a life.
Saurabh said, “Everyone was trying to help in whatever way they could. My daughter did what she thought will save a life.” The locals stated that smoke and heat engulfed the building as cries for help echoed from all directions. Some people were even ready to jump from the top floors.
Renu Bhutani, a local, said that she, along with her son, rushed to the spot as soon as she heard of the fire. She recalled how people were screaming for help from the upper floors. “There were seven or eight vehicles parked on the ground floor, and explosions kept happening, so it was impossible to go inside,” she said.
“People were pulled out using sarees through the terrace and from the back of the building. A drill machine was also used to break through during the rescue. We managed to save eight people. Before the fire brigade arrived, we kept carrying buckets of water to help put out the flames.”
The residents realised that people trapped on the top floors had no escape route. Although they attempted to reach the terrace through an adjoining building, the gates were locked. “We tried to open it but couldn’t. Finally, we broke it open. Some water tanks were installed on the rooftop, and we broke the pipelines too. Water began flowing continuously through the staircase, which reduced the smoke considerably,” Bhutani mentioned.
Among the first responders was constable Robin, who climbed onto the terrace of a neighbouring building and helped rescue seven to eight people trapped inside the structure. Nine families lived in the building. Many of them, however, were away on vacation.
Another local said the entire locality gathered to help the trapped residents but the smoke was so dense that people could barely stand in front of the structure. He added that many people believe that the blaze started after two-wheelers parked on the ground floor exploded.