Kejriwal felicitates ‘heroes of Mundka’

Locals risked their lives to save victims

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday met several local residents of Mundka who risked their lives to save people from the massive fire that broke in a building here on May 13.

Mr. Kejriwal appreciated the bravery and solidarity with which the locals saved as many lives as possible without caring for theirs.

Help escape

Among these heroes, as the Delhi government identified them, were crane driver Dayanand Tiwari and its owner Vijay, who told Mr. Tiwari to use the machine as he wished to save those trapped inside the building.

With the help of other locals, Mr. Tiwari used the crane to help people escape the burning building.

Bablu, who runs a junk shop in the area, took out mattresses from his shop and laid them outside the building so that people who jumped down from it do not get hurt.

Surendra, a transporter, brought down several people with the help of a rope. Vijay Mann, a farmer, along with villager residents, started bringing down people with the help of a rope even before the fire brigade arrived and took the injured to the hospital.

Similarly, 37-year-old Sanjeev, a municipal worker, who brought down people with the help of ropes, was along many others who had worked in tandem to avert the possibility of a larger death toll.

 “Such heroes prove how Delhiites stand together as a family during all highs and lows. We all have to be united and always help each other and work together,” Mr. Kejriwal said.

Last week, a devastating fire broke out in a multistorey building in Outer Delhi’s Mundka leading to the loss of at least 28 lives.