Two young nurses from Kerala, who were working in the AMRI Hospital in Kolkata, saved eight patients before their own lives were snuffed out while trying to rescue another victim.
Remya and Vineetha, both 24, pulled out eight of the nine patients in the noxious smoke-filled female ward and when they had gone up to save the ninth patient, who had suffered a fracture, succumbed to the smoke and heat, said Sumini, the Deputy Nursing Superintendent.
In fact, even as she was engaged in the valiant rescue effort, she had called up her home from Kolkata in the wee hours on Friday and spoken to her mother who had little inkling that this would be the last time she would hear her daughter.
She told her mother that the hospital was filled with thick smoke and fume and it was very difficult for her to breathe, a close relative here said.
Before she completed the talk the telephone line got disconnected. Later, it was another nurse from Kolkata who informed Remya's relatives that she was one of the two Malayali nurses who perished in the fire.
Vineetha hailed from a poor family also from Kottayam. She had joined AMRI hospital just two months back after quitting a hospital in Chandigarh.
According to Remya's relatives, she had visited them three months back and stayed for a few days before returning to Kolkata.
Remya's father, a daily wager earner, died before she completed her nursing course. It was with great difficulty that her mother and brother supported her to complete the course.