They refuse the status of "hero" and, yet, it is the courage of Miki, Adil, Haïkel and Dialo which allowed the rescue of an elderly couple, last Friday, during the fire of a apartment in the city center of Méru (Oise).
It is around 1:15 p.m. when the four forties, originally from the Nacre district, meet in the rue des Martyrs.
“I was at the Balto and Haïkel level at the PMU, at the entrance to the street, when we saw black smoke coming out of the roof of the building,” says Miki.
"We absolutely had to enter the building"
In less time than it takes to tell, the two men find themselves in the back yard of the building.
"I saw that there was a man at the window on the first floor," says Miki.
The door downstairs was blocked.
We absolutely had to go into the building to see if there were other people in danger.
"
Miki goes looking for a crowbar to force open the door.
“While we waited for him to come back, we wanted to advise the person to jump, but given his age, we thought that was not such a good idea,” says Haïkel.
The rescue of a couple in their seventies by 4 courageous Meruvian citizens.
An example to follow.
# Meru # LeParisien60 pic.twitter.com/6FK14KF2ux
- Patrick Caffin (@PatrickCaffin) March 29, 2021
Finally, the rescuers manage to enter the building.
They rush to the 1st floor.
“When we entered, there was a lot of black smoke on the stairs,” says Haïkel.
In the apartment, we saw that the lady had lost consciousness.
Two of the four rescuers then carry her to the entrance porch of the building.
Ditto for the septuagenarian supported until the exit.
The other two take over to shelter them, across the street, in a medical analysis laboratory.
“The manager was kind enough to open the site for us,” says Miki.
The nurse took charge of the two victims to provide them with first aid.
"
"I spat black all day Saturday"
The four rescuers have already left in front, in the burning building.
"It was a question of seeing if there were no other people or animals stranded in the apartments," explains Miki.
We knocked on every door.
We had to act quickly, especially since we had been warned of the presence of gas bottles.
It could fart at any time.
"
The fire ultimately caused only two victims, the couple in their seventies, hospitalized in Beauvais from minor burns and smoke poisoning.
“I spat black all day Saturday so much smoke I swallowed, however, says Haïkel.
It is certain that if they had stayed longer stuck in their apartment filled with smoke, it could have been serious for the two victims.
"
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However, the four rescuers do not seek to gain any glory from it.
“We did it naturally, it was a citizen gesture,” underlines Haïkel.
"For once, we will speak well of the inhabitants of the Nacre district", adds Miki.
Two weakened buildings, the street still closed to traffic
Nathalie Ravier, mayor of the town, did not fail to highlight the courage of these rescuers.
"We must be delighted that this couple was only slightly injured thanks to the intervention of Meruvian citizens who did not hesitate to put themselves in danger to help them," she says.
I also express my support for the victims and the traders affected by this particularly violent fire.
"
Indeed, this part of the rue des Martyrs remained closed and closed to traffic on Monday.
"Two buildings were weakened by the fire and a chimney threatens to fall," indicates the elected.
An expert must be appointed and a company must secure everything before the street reopens.
The causes of the fire are not yet determined and an investigation is underway.
