'Only way out of the building was through the fire'

A desperate dash through raging flames and suffocating smoke was the only way out for Jasvindar Singh, who worked at a property dealer's office on the fifth floor of Krishna Apra Plaza.

- Arun Singh

(Clockwise from top) Inayat, who climbed down part of the way on a rope and jumped; Jasvindar Singh, who escaped on foot; locals Praveen Chouhan, and Rohit Tiwari who helped rescue people. HT

NOIDA:

"I just ran towards the exit, right through the raging fire and thick smoke to save my life," said Singh, one of 14 injured in the devastating fire at Krishna Apra Plaza on Tuesday morning.

Singh, who lives in Noida Sector 36, said, "I was at my desk when we noticed the smoke. At first, a colleague dismissed it as a minor short-circuit somewhere. But when we opened the door, we were stunned—thick smoke was rapidly engulfing the building."

Panic spread quickly. A few of his colleagues rushed toward the terrace, but Singh instinctively headed for the right-side exit.

"I saw smoke and fire on the first floor. Without a second thought, I ran through the blaze and smoke toward safety," he said.