Page 16 - English Class 08

When Krimali got back to the scene, she heard a very faint cry coming from a mound of

rubble about three metres away.
I saw the soles of a pair of bare feet wiggling; Krimali says. ‘It was a woman. She was

buried head first and upside down in an almost vertical position. With someone else’ help, I
tried to pull her out by her feet, but couldn’t, so we started digging.

They laboured in the shadow of the slab to unearth the woman. Then they realised that
she was pregnant - and clutching her two years old daughter.

What would you do if you
were at the place of Krimali?

hysterical : unable to control
Despite hysterical crying, mother and child had only
superficial cuts. Krimali comforted them and walked them to safety.

In the hours that followed, Krimali made countless rescue misions into the crumbled
building, each time in the shadow of the great slab. In all, observers credit her with helping
to save at least two dozen men, women and children. Still, 58 people died in the collapse of

the Mangalam Apartments.
Three months later, surrounded by her adoring family who had witnesed her stunning
courage, Krimali does not overplay what she did. But she merrily tosses it all off as

something that was beyond her understanding. I’d never seen such things as I saw that day.
I had never done such things as I did. I don’t know where my courage came from. I’ m just
glad I was there and I did what I did.

— Henry Hust

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