Mangaluru: A fire broke out in a 13-storey flat with more than 100 people and a major tragedy was averted due to the timely action of the flat manager.
The fire broke out at a flat near Deralakatte wherein two students of a dental college were staying. In the early morning of Tuesday December 20, the duo left their flat (Room no: 202) as there was a workshop in the college. However, in a hurry, the girls, who had ironed their clothes, had left the box on the bed and went to the college even though it was switched off.
In a while, the smell of smoke had been emanating from the flat and Mohammad Shahid Shafique, a resident of Kuttaru, who is a manager, started searching as to where the smoke smell was emanating from.
About an hour later, the smoke was noticed coming out from room no. 202. However, as the room was locked, and he could not open it, he contacted the girl students through their mobile phones. He informed that the smoke was coming out of the room and asked them to come back immediately. The two girls immediately rushed towards the flat and when the lock was opened, a thick layer of smoke engulfed the room. Daring, Manager Shafique walked in straight and opened the window. The cause of the smoke was first not known. He stayed in for some time and on observation found the reason. At the same time, the bed started catching fire. Lokesh, the watchman of the flat, was immediately called and the two of them threw out the fire-ridden bed and averted a disaster.
If Shafique had delayed even for a while, there was a possibility that the fire would have engulfed the entire flat complex.
