“It feels like it just happened yesterday,” says K. Ganesan, Senior Supervisor at The Hindu here, recalling the haunting images of the huge fire that broke out two coaches away from his own on the Tamil Nadu Express on July 30.
“When I saw people crying out for help, I just had to help them,” he says. “But I hope nobody faces this situation again.” He acknowledges that it was easier for him to be of assistance since he was travelling alone without his family.
Mr. Ganesan was speaking at a felicitation in his honour organised by The Hindu here on Wednesday for his selfless act of saving the lives of many who were caught in the fire. “I saw a mother jump out of the coach with her baby. She was completely burnt on one side but she was more concerned about her child’s welfare,” he recollects, adding: “These scenes you only get to see on TV or in movies but I saw them for real.”
In his career at The Hindu spanning 27 years, Mr. Ganesan says, the felicitation he has received now is the most memorable. “I have been given awards for my long service here but this award is my favourite and most memorable,” he adds with a smile.
