Urologist braves blaze, smoke to save family
Dr Pratik Chaudhary, a urologist at Civil Hospital, lives on the second floor of Atylyam 4 with his wife Himani, their one-and-a-half-year-old son, his elderly parents, and his sister and her three-year-old daughter. At the time of the crash, Himani, both children, her sister, and Chaudhary's father were at home.
"I was just scrolling through my phone while the children were asleep," said Himani. "Then, out of nowhere, there was a loud blast.
Within seconds, we were surrounded by fire and smoke. Everything turned dark. We couldn't see or breathe."
Himani made a frantic call to her husband, who was on duty at Civil Hospital, just 1.5 km away. Chaudhary dashed toward his house. By the time he reached home, the fire had intensified. Grabbing a fire extinguisher and joined by a fellow urologist friend, he fought his way into the building.
"We were holding the children tightly when he arrived," Himani said.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025
Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List
Undo
"He (Chaudhary) led us out through the smoke, one hand holding us, the other clearing the path. We couldn't see anything… but he got us out."
Though worried about the children's exposure to smoke, they were found safe. The little ones have since been sent to their paternal village in Visnagar to recover.
Back at the charred remains of their home, Himani stood in disbelief, salvaging what little was left — a few utensils, kitchen tools, and some bedsheets. "We've lost so much. But we're here and my children are here," she said. "We were saved mainly because of my husband's alertness and bravery. I don't know where we'll go now… but we're alive. That's everything."
Follow more information on
Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here
. Get
real-time live updates
on rescue operations and check
full list of passengers onboard AI 171
.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
16 minutes ago
- Time of India
Compensation for cut: Tree plantation in Bastar for losing 100s of trees for chariot
Raipur: In a bid to balance tradition with sustainability, authorities in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region have begun planting saplings annually to compensate for the "hundreds of trees felled" each year to build the towering wooden chariot for the 75-day Bastar Dussehra, one of India's longest and most traditionally significant festivals. State wildlife board members and forest department on the local level have initiated the plantation, taking a cue from Jagannath Puri in Odisha, where thousands of saplings are planted annually to compensate for the timber used in 'Rath Yatra'. Speaking to TOI, Hemant Kashyap, a member of the state wildlife board and an environmentalist said, "For about three chariots, nearly 200 trees are felled in Odisha and the rath committee plants four times the number of saplings, and the wood is sourced only after an 80-year cycle of a tree planted. In Bastar, a single chariot is built - the four-wheeled 'Phool Rath' initially which later turns into eight-wheeled called 'Vijay Rath' — requiring felling of nearly 150 mature sal trees, many over a hundred years old. The Forest Department supplies this wood to the Bastar Dussehra Committee." "We have been demanding compensatory plantations for years. It shouldn't just continue in the name of tradition by planting few samplings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like TV providers are furious: this gadget gives you access to all channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo Sal trees take a several years to mature, he added. Jagdalpur chief conservator of forest R C Dugga told TOI that the number of trees to be felled depends on the size of logs required and usually they are less in numbers as claimed. By and large 80 huge logs are required for the chariot in Bastar Dussehra, he said. "Since the concern of annual felling of sal trees was considerable, our forest department team with local villagers and Dussehra committee jointly decided to plant saplings every year. There's a village called Nakti Semra near Jagdalpur, where the panchayat has provided an empty land and with own arrangements, we availed 250-300 saplings for plantation along with basic resources," CCF said. He added that the Bastar Dussehra committee representatives including 'manjhi, chalki' rank people who come from different villages, participate in plantation drive. We provide fencing and protection, he said, adding that to ensure proper care and maintenance, a formal initiative can be taken ahead. However, Kashyap urged for sal-specific replantation, stating that a mix of tree species is being planted instead. Moreover, while the best time for plantation is the monsoon, saplings are usually planted post-festival by tribal priests and traditional functionaries, often at the same spots where trees were felled, such as Markel, about 20 kms from Jagdalpur and Semra villages. Environmentalists emphasized that the chariot is crafted entirely through traditional methods — cut, carved, and shaped by hand without any machinery. This results in significant wood waste, which is later sold off or auctioned. Officials said that adequate funds can be allocated for structured ecological compensation for plantation.
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
This school took a ‘U-turn' & redefined classroom learning
Indore: In a first for Madhya Pradesh, a govt school in a small village of Dongargaon, Burhanpur district, took a step to transform classroom learning. Govt High School Dongargaon adopted a 'U-shape' seating arrangement. The innovative idea was inspired by Kerala's education model, aiming to break the age-old notion of frontbenchers and backbenchers and place every student at the centre of learning. The change, introduced just over two weeks ago, is already showing positive results, according to schoolteachers. Designed to promote equal participation, better visibility, and student-teacher interaction, the new seating pattern is seen as a practical step toward inclusive and dialogue-driven education. The initiative was led by in-charge principal Jagdish Patil, supported by teachers Shantaram Nimbhore, Asha Marathe, Poonam Sanghvi, Jayesh Parkade, and Sandeep Patil. Principal Patil said that he first read about Kerala's U-shape seating model in a newspaper and discovered that it was inspired by the Malayalam film Sthaanarthi Shreekuttan. "I watched the movie to understand the idea. It made me realise how classroom layout affects students' learning and confidence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like I Thought I'd Live With Ear Ringing Forever – Until I Found This Trick Derila Ergo Undo So, we decided to try it here," he told TOI. The school has a total of 90 students, 30 in Class 10 and 60 in Class 9, being taught by five teachers and Patil himself, who teaches mathematics. The U-shaped seating was initially implemented in Class 10, where students now sit in a U-shape facing the teacher. The setup ensures that no student is left out of view, and interaction becomes natural and open. "Being in a rural area, we must make learning fun to keep students coming to school," said Patil. "Students who used to hesitate in speaking are now becoming confident. They ask questions, take part in discussions, and show greater interest in studies," Patil said. Following its success, Class 9 students also requested the same arrangement, and it has now been extended. The experiment has attracted the attention of educators from nearby schools, who are visiting Dongargaon to study the model and plan its implementation in their own classrooms. "I used to sit at the back and couldn't see the board clearly. Now I'm more focused and involved," said Class 9 student Sarita Pawar.
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Animal deaths in accidents rise in fiscal year 2024-25, jumping to 582 from 508
Panaji: In the financial year 2024-25, a total of 582 animals died due to injuries sustained in accidents, marking a rise from 508 such deaths recorded in the previous year. Data from recent years shows fluctuating figures with 246 deaths in 2020-21, a peak of 666 in 2021-22, followed by 509 in 2022-23, and 508 in 2023-24. The latest figures highlight a renewed increase in animal fatalities in accidents, raising concerns over road safety. This was shared by minister for animal husbandry and veterinary services Nilkanth Halarnkar in response to a question by Margao BJP legislator Digambar Kamat. Halarnkar said that Goa govt has implemented a multi-pronged action plan to control stray animals, particularly dogs and cattle, on public roads. 'Govt has adopted the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001, and Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, under which local municipal bodies, with the help of accredited welfare organisations, are mandated to run continuous sterilisation and vaccination camps for stray dogs,' Halarnkar said. He said, 'These programmes aim to contain the uncontrolled growth of the stray dog population and reduce rabies risk.' In 2024-25, a total of 12,089 stray dogs from across the state were sterilised. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo 'The local bodies are responsible for impounding stray cattle from roads, beaches, and fields, and transporting them to cattle pounds,' Halarnkar said. Under Chapter XX of the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968, the management of stray cattle in the municipal areas is the mandate of municipal councils. Under Section 112A-F of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, the management of stray cattle in rural areas is the mandate of panchayats. The Goa Stray Cattle Management Scheme (Amended) has helped impound 8,944 cattle. A total amount of Rs 21.6 crore was released as a grant in aid during the year 2024-25.
