A fire broke out on the 33rd floor of the B-wing of high rise BeauMonde Towers in Worli, on Wednesday, June 13, 2018, at 2.08 pm. A team of 20 fire engines, two quick response vans, five jumbo water tankers, two hydraulic platforms along with an ambulance, rushed to the spot to douse the Level 3 fire. Over 90 residents were evacuated successfully and fortunately, no casualties were reported.
And while there is no doubt that the firefighter’s team did their job in ensuring safety and putting out the fire in five hours, 36 security guards emerged as unsung heroes in saving lives during the unfortunate tragedy.
According to a Mumbai Mirror report, these security guards of BeauMonde Towers physically climbed 31 floors of its B-wing to alert and evacuate residents before the fire brigade arrived.
The humble men in uniform stood true to their duty as they ran up 31 floors of Mumbai high-rise, dispersed in all directions and knocked on every door to ensure the residents rushed to the main lobby to avoid any casualties.
Speaking to the publication, Yunnus Khan, who was one among the many guards who heard the fire alarm go off at 2 pm said, “As the lifts stopped working and electricity was turned off, we had to climb right to the top. We didn’t want to create panic, but we also had to ensure that no resident was inside the flats. Sometimes we had to climb the stairs twice. It was very tiring,” said Khan.
A resident of the 25th floor of the tower, Seema Minawala, thanked the guards for jumping into action, saying, “There was an announcement made on the microphone, and thankfully the guards are trained to guide us. Even before I could shut my main door, they turned off the lights and the gas connection. Then the lifts stopped working.”
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Guard Mushtayir Khan said the inbuilt fire-fighting system within the building like hose pipes and sprinklers helped contain the fire after the alarm went off. “We are relieved that nobody was hurt. It was our duty to help the residents and think of their safety first,” he said.
We salute the quick thinking of these 36 guards and hope they are suitably rewarded for their display of grit and bravery. We hope the residents who have suffered damage to their properties in the dangerous fire, can bounce back from the loss.
(Edited by Shruti Singhal)
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