Ahmedabad Fire: Woman throws kids from balcony in daring escape caught on camera

A fire erupted on the fourth floor of an apartment complex in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on Friday. The blaze was eventually brought under the control after seven fire engines were deployed to the scene. As heat and smoke engulfed even the lower floors, residents desperately tried to flee the building using balconies on staircase landings. In a gripping moment caught on camera, a woman and two young children narrowly escaped tragedy.

The footage shows the woman carefully lifting the children over a fourth-floor balcony wall, holding them by their arms while shouting for help. Two men on the floor below bravely balanced on the parapet and caught the children as she dropped them one by one into their waiting arms.

The woman herself had a near-fatal fall as she tried to lower herself from the balcony to the floor below. She lost her footing and slipped, plunging head-first, but rescuers managed to grab her by the ankles just in time, preventing a tragic fall. As the fire spread rapidly, engulfing electric cables and everything in its path, residents helped each other evacuate. Thick smoke reduced visibility to near zero, forcing people to feel their way along the walls as they descended the stairwell in a desperate bid to escape.

Here’s the video:

The fire originated in a flat at Parishkar-1 in Khokhara, Ahmedabad. While around 18 people were trapped, all were successfully rescued by fire officials. The blaze was eventually brought under control, and no casualties were reported.

The Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) and police have launched a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire and are evaluating the structural integrity of the affected floors. Families from the impacted block have taken shelter with friends and relatives, while others have been provided food and temporary accommodation at the society’s gym.