It was a normal Monday morning—the first day of the week, and the hustle-bustle of corporate life went on like it does every day. Except that it did not.
Just around lunch-time, we were told that a nearby building was on fire. As we rushed downstairs to see what had exactly happened, we could see a crowd surrounding the said building, while the flames reached towards the sky.
Fashion Club Global near Hero Honda Chowk in Sector 18, Gurgaon, was on fire.
A motley crowd of office-goers, nearby shop-keepers, and idle passers-by had accumulated, making the area unsafe and prone to a stampede, in the eventuality that any burning object or part of the building fell downstairs.
Firemen were of course at the scene, but from what I saw there, they left much to be desired. I counted about six fire tenders at the spot, but was appalled to see the poor quality and quantity of the men fighting the fire.
They did wear any fire repellent suits, and were not adequately numbered. The crowd could gather in the area, as there was no proper security perimeter around the flaming building. Some among the crowd were aiding the fie-fighting, giving the place an unorganized look.
There was no proper system of ladder for going to the roof to extinguish the fire there. It was apparent that they had been caught off guard by the call. While through exposure to movies and news, one can see how firemen in the west are equipped to deal with such instances; the scene before my eyes was a complete contrast.
Firemen were not just ill-equipped; they were putting their own lives at risk by not wearing proper attire. Question is, who is responsible for this? Where does the accountability lie?