14 hours ago
Hero lorry driver saves man trapped inside burning building in Dublin city centre
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A hero lorry driver saved a life by reversing his truck up close to a burning building so a man trapped inside could jump on to the vehicle.
Tomasz Zareba told the Irish Mirror he did it because he thought it "would be much safer for him". Amazingly, the Polish man said he then carried on with his job and "finished [his] deliveries for the day".
Three fire victims were taken to hospital following the Dublin city centre blaze yesterday – but many claim tragedy was avoided thanks to the lorry driver.
As the fire raged on the third floor of a four-storey building at Granby Row in Dublin 1, the passing Eurospar driver assessed the danger. Video footage shows Tomasz reversing the lorry under a window of the building as thick, black smoke and fire billowed out.
After several seconds, a man leaps from the window on to the lorry and a loud impact noise can be heard amid gasps of onlookers. People who saw the terrifying scenes called for Tomasz to get a medal.
(Image: ThisisDublin)
But the driver told us: "I just thought it would be much safer for him to jump on the lorry instead of the footpath. I saw the smoke coming from the window because my next delivery was just around the corner."
He added: "I saw the flames coming up from the window and one guy was lying on the footpath. He had blood on his face, and I think he might have broken both his legs when he jumped from the building.
"Another guy was screaming from the window. He didn't know what he was supposed to do because he had flames behind him. There was a long drop below him. I reversed the lorry as close as I safely could to the window. The other lads from the footpath told him to jump on the roof of the lorry. He was OK I think."
Tomasz said he waited in case someone else needed to jump from the window and then pulled in and waited for the fire brigade. He said: "I waited another 20 minutes because the road was blocked and then the fireman came over.
"He said, 'Grand job buddy, thanks for that'. I went on to finish my deliveries for the day."
A witness said: "He just saved someone an agonising death." Another added: "Incredible. Absolute hero. Many would have driven on." Someone else said: "Give that lorry driver a medal."
The risk to life was reported by Gardaí and Dublin Fire Brigade after an emergency call after 8am. It was confirmed by the emergency services that six fire engines attended the incident, seven people were treated at the scene, and three went to hospital.
(Image: ThisisDublin)
A fire service spokesperson said: "Breathing apparatus teams were committed to fight and extinguish the fire." A Garda spokesperson added: "An investigation is ongoing." A spokesperson for Eurospar said "Tomasz Zareba was on his daily delivery round for our supermarkets."
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