Firefighter Rajesh Shukla was praised by Delhi Minister Satyendra Jain as a "real hero".
As many as 43 people were killed when an illegal bag-and-paper factory in Delhi's Anaj Mandi caught fire on Sunday morning. The death count, however, would have been much higher if not for the fearless efforts of a firefighter - Rajesh Shukla - who has been credited with singlehandedly saving 11 people and spearheading the rescue operation at great risk to his life.
Describing the events from the day, Mr Shukla told NDTV that he did not even have the requisite safety equipment when he made his first trip into the fiery building. "The first team at the spot adjudged the blaze as a major one and enhanced its category," he told NDTV. "It took me about 10 to 15 minutes to reach the scene, and I could see that the second, third and fourth floors were on fire. Back then, we didn't even know that there were people dying inside."
The firefighter said the first indication of lives being at risk came when workers at the scene alerted him to somebody making a frantic phone call from the third floor. "They said somebody upstairs was calling for help, saying that he was trapped. Realising what was at stake, I rushed in without waiting for backup. After clearing the building's main corridor, I began checking all the rooms," he said, adding that he did not even have the time to wait for the breathing equipment to arrive.
Upon entering one of the rooms, Mr Shukla heard sounds of people murmuring. "There were many there, some unconscious, gasping as if for their last breath. I brought back three who were still conscious, leading them by the hand. The back-up team had arrived with more equipment by then, and given how dire the situation was, we went inside again immediately," he said.
"We carried out many on our backs, and if somebody was particularly heavy, we had to literally drag them out. There was nothing else we could do in the circumstances," he told NDTV, adding that he accompanied every team up the building through the ordeal.
Unfortunately, the ambulances took some time coming. "So we used my car, auto rickshaws... the onus was on getting the victims to a hospital as soon as possible," Mr Shukla said.
Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain had praised the fire fighter for his efforts on the day of the blaze. "Fireman Rajesh Shukla is a real hero. He was the first fireman to enter the fire and he saved around 11 lives. Salute to this brave hero," he tweeted.