Delhi fire: Some waited in balcony for help, others climbed down using blanket

Lying in a ward of Holy Family hospital Tuesday afternoon, she did not know that Adyan (6), her youngest child, had died in the fire. Her sister-in-law Nishat (48) said: “She can’t bear the trauma. We haven’t told her yet. We have told her that her children are in the paediatric ICU.”

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“She was very excited about Eid celebrations and had invited all of us for a family dinner,” added Nishat.

Adyan was among the six people who perished in the blaze.

Zulfikar Alam, (24) who lived on the fourth floor of the building, said that he and his family of 11 escaped the fire on their own by using a blanket as a rope.

“We live next to another residential building and decided to jump to the terrace. I made a jump and then helped all my family members, including two children, climb down the ‘rope’ and reach the terrace safely. Later, we escaped by climbing down the stairs of that building,” said Alam.

Also among the dead was Nagma (30), who jumped from the third floor with her two children, Aamna (8) and Zikra (8). Her husband Athar (36) has been hospitalised after he complained of breathlessness.

Waseem, who lived on the third floor, was among the last to be found by police. He was charred to death and couldn’t be identified initially because he lived alone.