NEW DELHI: “It (the fire) was scary and people were stuck inside. We called the electrician to shut the power as there was sparkling in that pole (20 metres away from the burning building),” said Rachna Singh, 32, who offered first-aid to Pooja and two kids, who came out of the burning building with the help of neighbours.
“There was smoke. It kept spreading. I called the fire brigade and they said that they had recieved calls about the blaze and fire brigade was on the way. The vans came after almost an hour and took little time to douse the fire,” Rachna said.
Pooja came out and explained to Rachna that she couldn’t move to the lower floors as they were consumed by flames so she climbed up the terrace with her daughter and her niece. “I didn’t realise that there was a blaze. There was noise which woke me. I rushed out with Aradhya Somya (aged three) and Somya (her niece, aged 10),” Pooja, who was still struggling to come to terms with the incident, said.Saumya sustained 15 per cent burn injuries, she said.
Rachna, who lives opposite the affected building, took Pooja and the kids to her house. “I applied toothpaste on Somya’s hand. Pooja’s face was blackened with smoke. The other child was panting,” she said.
Pooja’s husband Amarnath Jha had left for Haridwar to perform rituals on his brother’s ( Somya’s father) one-year death anniversary.
Other neighbours also offered condolences. “Uday was such a nice man. He was so helpful and quite daring. Had he not been stuck himself, he would have saved everybody,” said one of them.