UPDATE - Turkey: Man's heroic acts save Afghans’ lives from fire

ADDS FATHER’S REMARKS

By Ekber Turkoglu

TOKAT, Turkey (AA) - A newspaper distributor’s quick thinking and heroic actions after a fire broke out in a house of an Afghan family saved their life in Turkey’s Black Sea region on Wednesday.

Remzi Ozyurt was distributing newspaper in northern Tokat province in the early morning when he noticed flames and smoke coming from a two-story wooden house.

Ozyurt immediately called fire service and police and then woke the family up.

The newspaper distributor later caught two children of the family -- Mukaddese, 7, and Umit, 5, -- after the father dropped them from the window of the burning house.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ozyurt described how the incident occurred.

“I noticed that the fire would engulf the building. They [family] throw the children down one by one and I caught and took them to their neighbors living on the opposite side of the building,” he said.

Firefighters then rescued Muhammed Norazi and his wife Merziye from the fire.

The father said that they could not evacuate the house as the stairs inside burst into flames.

“I threw my children out to Mr. Remzi. He saved their lives. There was nobody [around] at that time. God has sent him to us.

“We will never forget his favor,” Norazi said, adding, “My children are alive thanks to him.”

The fire was extinguished after a one-hour effort.

The family was also taken to a nearby hospital for a health check-up.