It was noon time. Doctors and medical staff staying in Atulyam building number 1-4, a residential set up, were away on duty. Families stayed back. There was a hostel. Students were moving in and out. It was lunch time. There were plates with food in it on the tables. And then, suddenly, a flight crashed into the building. It caught fire and subsequently crashed into the four residential buildings next to the mess.
"When I reached here, five people from one family were standing on the fifth floor of the partially charred building and crying for help. Four were airlifted, the fifth one died due to suffocation," said Charu Singh, one of the fire brigade personnel involved in rescue operations. The team immediately got involved in extinguishing the fire. Black smoke had reduced visibility to near zero, hampering rescue operations.
Apart from taking out charred bodies from inside the crash site, the officials were also constantly looking for survivors inside the buildings. A few people have died here. "The residents who survived and were taken to a safe spot very visibly shaken. There were women and children," said Ram Diwan, another fire brigade personnel.
The damaged and partially charred buildings hampered rescue operations to some extent. Their foundation had gotten week due to the crash. Three massive bulldozers were clearing the debris. Fire brigade was constantly pouring water. At one point, it seemed as if one of the buildings shook a little. There was panic and chaos. Blistering heat, low visibility, black smoke and the presence of thousands of curious onlookers made rescue difficult.
By evening, most of the charred bodies were taken out from the wreckage that was spread in a large area. Black smoke had reduced. We managed to go to the front side of the buildings. There were charred bikes and cars, reduced to ashes. There were balconies. Partially charred clothes were still hanging. There was a tiny frock. In one of the buildings was a toy cycle. A pigeon feeder in the other. A cylinder somewhere. In one of the balconies hung two bedsheets tied to each other. An attempt was made to jump to escape death.
People were going about their day. Every day, they must be seeing and hearing dozens of flights zoom past. Today was an unusual day. A flight crashed leaving the buildings and their lives charred. Their comfortable lives were suddenly shattered and won't be the same again.
The buildings stand witness to a tragedy. While the teams are desperately scouting for the black box, crucial peace of evidence, it is these buildings who have seen everything. If only they could talk testify.
