Senior journalist Ajit Anjum writes his experience when massive fire broke out in the Residential Society in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, he lives in
The picture is right in front of me. Eight flats were reduced to ashes. One can only imagine the state of mind of those whose homes were reduced to ashes. Their entire life savings have now been reduced to ashes. They don’t even have clothes to wear. Everyone fled empty-handed.
Everyone will struggle to get back on track. It will take months.
My house narrowly escaped a fire. We held on with courage. We doused ourselves with water from above, extinguishing the flames that had reached the balcony of the flat directly below us.
People in the society continued to spray water from different floors. I know the mental trauma I went through for an hour. I felt like everything was about to end for me, so I decided to make one last attempt. I decided to somehow save my house.
When a fire broke out on the ninth floor of the tower opposite mine, I made a video and tagged some people so that fire brigade vehicles could arrive. Then, realizing that the fierce flames could reach my house, we all ran downstairs. Within minutes, the flames reached my tower. The balconies on the three floors below my flat began to burn. Then I decided to go upstairs and try pouring water. Five of us ran up to the thirteenth floor.
After some effort, the fire on the balcony below me was extinguished. Water started pouring from the flat below as well. Our house and the houses in our tower were saved, but the houses opposite were reduced to ashes. The fire brigade also took charge, but by then everything was destroyed. The fire brigade vehicles that arrived initially were helpless because they did not have hydraulic ladders. They could do nothing. Four people in two flats were trapped inside because their doors had caught fire. They tried to escape the fire and smoke by going to the balcony.
With great effort, they were evacuated by dousing the fire in their doors and homes with water.
Thank God, everyone’s lives were saved.
Yesterday, in a panic, I sent a video to some of my journalist friends to help. Ladder trucks arrived, but in the evening, I saw some people abusing me.
I pray that God does not see these days for all those people. Thank you to all my friends who showed concern.
Thank you to the DM, SSP, ADM of Ghaziabad, and all the officials who arrived at the scene.
( From Ajit Anjum’s FB wall)
