Twenty lives were saved in the tragic Nanded Express blaze thanks to 36-year-old secondary grade teacher Sharana Basava, who still had his wits about despite witnessing his wife and father-in-law die.
“I did my duty in saving my fellow passengers... but I could not save the two,” he recalls.
Basava’s wife Sarva Mangalamma and father-in-law Basava Raju were among the 26 passengers who died when the AC coach B-1 was engulfed in flames. He and his brother-in-law Prasanna pulled out many passengers from the toilet of the coach after breaking the window.
The teacher’s incredible presence of mind amidst shocking personal tragedy is inspiring.
Basava also remembers the courage of the “woman on fire” who had alerted everyone. "When I woke up, she was engulfed in flames. She did her duty even during the final moments of her life.”
