'I am glad I was able to rescue the mother'
Crane operator recalls ingenious rescue during Sharjah apartment fire
Dubai: Parvez Iqbal, 28, a crane operator, sits staring at the eighth floor of the building where tragedy struck a Pakistani family.
His only regret is that he was unable to help the two boys.
"I will never forget the sight of the boy lying in a pool of blood," he said. "If only the mother had held on for a couple of minutes more before deciding to drop her children."
It was Iqbal's presence of mind that saved Zaibulnisa, the mother of the two boys, who stood precariously on the window sill.
Parvez manoeuvred his crane and hoisted it up to the eighth floor where Zaibulnisa stood. A wooden platform was attached to the crane and Zaibulnisa was brought down to safety.
"I am glad that I was able to rescue the mother. The idea of hoisting the crane to the eighth floor occurred when I saw Areeb [one of the sons] on the pavement with his face smashed," he said.
