Old City Fire: Neighbours Turn Out First Line of Rescue

Hyderabad: As flames engulfed the building at Gulzar Houz in the Old City, it was not just the fire brigade that responded; it was the local community that stepped in first.

The fire broke out around 5.45 am. At that hour, a group of young men, who was heading for their morning namaz, saw smoke rising from the building. Without hesitation, they rushed in to help. Zahid, a local resident, was one of the first persons to enter the building to help the victims.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Zahid said “Two women told us that people were trapped and they couldn't get out. So we tried to go in from the main route. But the fire was already growing there. So we went in from the building beside it and helped them.”

“My friends, I and five others poured water and broke the wall to bring them out. We personally got 13 people out from the building, and we kept helping until 9 am,” Zahid added.

Salman, another passerby, said, “My brother and I helped them. We did not think about ourselves at all. All we could think, was how to bring them out to safety as quickly as possible. But unfortunately, some people lost their lives.”

“It was very painful for us to see a family suffer so much. I picked up one child, who was wrapped up in clothes to prevent them from asphyxiation. But the child was unconscious already. I feel really bad for the family members”, Salman added.

While some locals helped evacuate the injured people, others managed traffic and cleared the way for emergency vehicles to pass through the narrow lanes.

Though professional firefighters later brought the blaze under control, residents and firefighters said the people who helped them out showed a lot of bravery and prevented the tragedy from becoming even worse.