Firefighter injured in rescue attempt

NEW DELHI: A 44-year-old firefighter was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram hospital at about 8 am on Tuesday morning with smoke inhalation injuries and a burn on the left arm. Subhash Arya was one among the first responders to the fire at Hotel Arpit Palace.

“When we reached there, we could see smoke coming out of the building and people screaming for help. We set up the ladders immediately and started evacuating people from the first and the second floor. We also called for the skylift to help people who were stuck on the third floor of the building,” said Arya.

After evacuating people from the windows facing the road, the firefighters rushed in. “There was so much smoke on the firstfloor staircase, I could not see anything. It was also very hot,” he said. “My breathing had become laboured. That’s when I realised that even I should go to the hospital,” said Arya.