Hospital blaze: Food delivery boy is hero

mumbai — A 20-year-old Swiggy executive, who was out delivering food, saved 10 lives from the massive fire at a Mumbai hospital that killed eight people.

Sidhu Humanabade was passing by when he saw smoke bellowing out from upper floors of the ESIC Kamgar Hospital. He left his bike and asked the firemen if he can join them in rescuing people. After a nod from officials, he reached fourth floor of the building with the help of fire brigade’s ladder and rescued some stranded patients and visitors.

Braving the dense smoke that engulfed the area, he managed to bring out 10 people to safety in two hours. During this, he chocked on the smoke and is currently admitted at the nearby Seven Hills Hospital.

Speaking to PTI from his hospital

One patient slipped from my hand and fell down, but fortunately she survived

Sidhu, Swiggy executive

bed, Sidhu said when he heard people crying for help, he could not stop himself. “I joined the firemen in their rescue operation. Thankfully, the firemen allowed me to climb their ladder to reach the fourth floor. I broke the building’s glass with an axe and entered the premises.”

He then asked the patients to come over to the window ledge and brought them down one by one. “One patient slipped from my hand and fell down, but fortunately she survived,” said Sidhu.

Sidhu is from Airoli but shifted to Andheri’s Marol, where the hospital is, with his uncle a few days back when he joined Swiggy.

Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Santosh Gangwar on Tuesday met the victims admitted in various city hospitals and assured that they would be provided proper treatment.

Sidhu said the minister met him too and enquired about his health and also asked about his deed. “It was nice to get appreciation from him,” said Sidhu, a class 12 pass out. —