Off-duty fireman rescues girl dangling from third-floor window in Pune

Fire brigade officials said that Bhavika Chandane, the girl, was alone in the flat at the time as her mother had locked her in and left to drop her elder sister at school, fire brigade officials said.

Pune: A four-year-old girl who slipped out of a third-floor window grille and was left dangling precariously was rescued in the nick of time on Tuesday by her neighbour, a fire brigade personnel.

A video of the heart-stopping incident which took place at around 9 am in Katraj area of the city went viral on social media.

Bhavika Chandane, the girl, was alone in the flat at the time as her mother had locked her in and left to drop her elder sister at school, fire brigade officials said.

While standing on the window grille, she slipped out but managed to grab the window sill.

Yogesh Chavan, a fireman who lives nearby, was standing in the balcony of his flat when he heard frantic shouts from a resident in the opposite building, alerting him that a girl was hanging from a window.

"I rushed downstairs and fortunately saw her mother returning. I took the keys from her and ran up to the third floor, unlocked the door and pulled the girl inside," Chavan told reporters.

He also praised the girl's presence of mind. "She showed great courage by holding on tightly until help arrived," he added.