Some patrons of ‘1 Above ’casually took selfies of the massive flames that leapt metres into the sky, while a few others lay immobilised in drunken stupor, delaying evacuation from the pub that was devastated in the blaze that killed 14 people here, eyewitnesses said on Friday.
Difficulty in finding the exit door also impeded rescue efforts, forcing nervous customers to lock themselves up in toilets.
The blaze at the rooftop pub during a party spread rapidly through the building, trapping many inside. Among those killed were 11 women, including Khushbu Bansali, who was celebrating her 29th birthday, and many of her friends. “At around ten minutes past midnight, I got out of my office after hearing commotion. A sea of people came rushing at me. They were basically running wherever the pathway led them to," Mahesh Sable, who works for a private security agency, told PTI.
Sable said his agency provides security at the offices of news channel Times Now, which has satellite-linking equipment on the terrace adjoining '1 Above' where the fire started.
He said some of them even insisted on taking refuge inside the security agency's office on the terrace. "They came up by the lift and knew nothing about the place, like the proper exit. I guided about 150-200 people as I knew the way down," he said.