A woman saved the lives of many from a building that was caught on fire in Gurugram on Monday. 32-year-old interior designer alerted neighbours by knocking at their doors helping them escape. While her prompt actions saved the lives of many in the highrise, she died. Swati Garg was rushed to the hospital after being found lying unconscious near the 10th-floor terrace door, however, she died on the way.
She couldn't escape as the gate was locked and the stairwell was filled with thick smoke. According to a report in Hindustan Times, she died of asphyxiation while trying to escape through the rooftop. Swati is survived by her husband, Girish Gard, four-year-old daughter, Anjali and mother Vaishali Tikekar. Around 200 residents live in the 36 flats of highrise tower Tulip Orange. Swati and Girish shifted to a three bedroom flat with their daughter this May. 8-Year-Old Girl Dies, Saves Four Lives After Her Parents Donate Her Organs.
The report quoted her husband Girish as saying, "I took my daughter and ran upstairs. My wife and mother-in-law were walking behind. There was too much smoke on the eighth floor and I saw a door was open in one of the (vacant) apartments and took refuge with my daughter. Swati was walking behind with her mother, an asthma patient. I thought she had taken refuge in one of the other apartments."
He added saying, "However, Swati and her mother decided to split and she proceeded towards the terrace in the hope of finding some fresh air and found the two terrace doors locked." According to the report, some residents of the tower said Swati knocked on their doors while going upstairs. Braveheart Fisherman Jineesh Jeron Who Rescued Several in Kerala Floods, Dies in Tragic Road Accident.
Vipin Rawat, a station house officer at Badhsahpur police station, "The victim tried to save the residents who were asleep and knocked at their door and asked them to come out. She went up to open the terrace gate so that the fumes could pass through and people could get fresh air to breathe."
While the tower has the necessary NOC (No Objection Certificate) and fire safety norms, the terrace doors were closed which is a violation of the fire safety norms. No houses were gutted in the fire. People from the fifth, sixth and seventh floor rushed to the eighth floor to take shelter. Fortunately, the fire did not spread to the eighth floor saving everyone there.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 09, 2018 01:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).