Meerut hero who saved 6 lives dies

Mohammed Javed who single-handedly rescued six children from a devastating fire three days ago, succumbed to injuries.

Mohammed Javed, a teenager who single-handedly rescued six children from a devastating fire at Meerut three days ago, succumbed to injuries at the Safdarjang Hospital in Delhi on Thursday.

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Family members alleged that Javed died due to the negligence of doctors. He had sustained over 70 per cent burns in the Monday evening fire at a trade fair in Meerut.

"He was left unattended from Wednesday night when we brought him to hospital," said Mizaz Ahmed, Javed's father. He said though Javed had died at 6 am, doctors did not disclose the news till 10 am.

"We were promised good medical treatment at the hospital but these people have killed my son," he said.

He also said the family had not been in favour of bringing Javed here and wanted him to be treated in Meerut but doctors forced him to take the boy to Delhi.

The 18-year-old was a student of Class 12 at Sarvodaya School in east Delhi and had gone to Meerut, his home, after appearing in the board examination.

Javed was among the many who were injured when a major fire broke out at the Brand India fair in Victoria Park, Meerut, April 6. Scores of people were killed in the blaze.

Mizaz said when the fire broke out, Javed managed to come out safe from a burning tented enclosure but went back to help those trapped inside.

Anida, his mother, said, "Javed saw six kids were stuck in one corner of a tent and so he went back inside the burning enclosure to save them. He tore a part of the synthetic cloth that was used to make the outer cover of the tent to make way for the children."

No one knew then that Javed's presence of mind and exemplary act of bravery would save so many lives but claim his own.