World

A desperate father, trapped four stories up by fire, throws his baby out of the window

By team ⋅ March 27, 2008 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

The Times, 5th February

It was a gesture of sheer desperation. A father, engulfed by flames, dripped his baby from the third floor of his apartment block.

The baby was caught by a fireman and has suffered no injuries. Contrastingly, nine people, including five people and a pregnant woman, were killed by the blaze that destroyed a house in Ludwigshaven, an industrial city in South Germany. Two children found cowering behind a couch with wet cloths over their mouths were saved, but television news recorded a charred baby being pulled out of the wreck and lowered down a firemen’s ladder. The heat was so intense that the wooden staircase that could have carried many of the inhabitants to safety, simply collapsed. The strong risk that the building would cave in prevented rescue workers from searching all the floors, for fear that this would result in an even higher death toll.

The century-old house was full of people celebrating a carnival that is held throughout Catholic parts of Germany. The carnival procession, with huge floats, cheerleaders and brass band has passed by outside. Just hours later adults were jumping from the windows, screaming as their clothes burned.

The mayor of Ludwigshaven, Eva Lohse, held back tears as she described the tragedy as the worst fire to hit the city since the Second World War.