MANAUS, BRAZIL — “I put her in a bag, and the boys took her.” That is how homemaker Paula Caroline described how she managed to save her 1-month-old granddaughter during a fire that hit a residential building Sunday afternoon (Aug. 9) in Manaus' North Zone.

Paula lives on the fourth floor of the building and said that, amid the smoke, she remembered a bag she normally uses to carry objects. She placed the baby inside the bag and relied on the help of residents to get the child out of the apartment.

After being removed from the building, the baby was taken for medical treatment. According to her grandmother, she is doing well but continues to cough. The family plans to take the child to a health care facility again for a more thorough evaluation.

In addition to the baby, two other children were on the fourth floor and were rescued by firefighters. The mother of two of the children was also found unconscious inside the apartment and removed by rescue teams.

Residents said smoke spread throughout the building, forcing some people to leave their apartments through windows.

One of the apartments was destroyed by the flames. According to witnesses, the resident lost his belongings, and the dog that was inside the home died.

Firefighters were called to the scene and worked to put out the blaze. The cause of the fire will be investigated.

Amazon Agency