Nightclub fire survivor relives horror blaze ‘like terrifying war scene’ | World | News

One student told how he heroically walked back and forth to the burning Les Constellation pub in a selfless effort to save lives.

Ferdinand Du Beaudiez, 19, was partying at a nightclub with six loved ones, including his comatose brother and his girlfriend, when the fire broke out around 1.30am on New Year’s Eve.

He returned to the scene of the disaster for the first time today and gave remarkable witness statements about the moment the fire started. He described how he tried to use water to extinguish the fire before witnessing scenes he likened to a battlefield.

Ferdinand, who studied finance and economics at the University of Munich, said: “I saw someone ordering these bottles of champagne and the waiters carrying the bottles on their shoulders.

“This caused these fire devices to come down on them, close to the insulation foam roof. “I saw the roof was on fire and I went under the bar.

“I found some water in the mini fridge. I took the water now, but the fire spread to the entire roof. I threw some water, but it did nothing.

“I came back down, grabbed my girlfriend’s arm and yelled at everyone to ‘get out.’

“I carried my girlfriend up the stairs with all my strength. There were so many people on the stairs that I lost her arm.

“I fell to the ground. I made it to the top of the stairs and fell face down.

“My first reflex was to cover my face with my arms and close my eyes. At that moment, I think someone opened the front door.

“That allowed a lot of air in, which in turn provided some air to the fire. And the fire turned into a fireball.”

“I felt this fireball on my head, it slightly burned my neck. At that moment the fire took all the air I could breathe and I couldn’t breathe anymore.

“With one last hope, I grabbed the leg of the table and pulled myself out. I couldn’t find anyone right now. I went up next to the cinema. I couldn’t find anyone.”

Ferdinand of Paris described what he did next: “I went back inside.

“I think I found someone, hopefully he was unconscious. But I pray he’s still alive. I grabbed him up the stairs and took him out.”

“Firefighters, police, firefighters took him away. But I still couldn’t find anyone. I went back in, but I couldn’t breathe anymore.

“There was so much smoke and I couldn’t breathe. So I went out again. I found a friend of mine who was actually burning. He said to me, where is your girlfriend?”

“My girlfriend started running. I found my girlfriend in complete shock. She was also in complete shock. She told me that my brother and his friends were near the bank there.

“I took them both and joined my brother and his friends. They were all in shock, they were all very badly burned.” “It was terrible. It was like a war scene. I saw people, I saw people burning on the ground.

“I was looking for my brother, my girlfriend and my friends. I couldn’t let them stay in the fire while I was out. That’s why I couldn’t see them.

Describing going back inside the burning bar, he said: “One time I found someone laying in the stairs. This person was completely burned. Clothes were burned. I couldn’t recognize if it was a woman or a man.”

“I could just see the teeth. I held this person who was really heavy. Heavy, someone who didn’t give any tension back. You know, when I grab your arm, there’s tension.

“Nothing was happening. I took his arms off and laid him on the ground. A police officer and a firefighter were outside looking at him.

“This was the first time. The second time I felt like there was more smoke. So I could breathe less.”

Ferdinand said he was praying for his brother, who is currently in a coma in the hospital.

Regarding his other friends, he said: “The others have also regained consciousness. They are awake. They are being cared for. They are in pain. But it is not life-threatening. They will all come out, I pray for my brother.”

Describing what he saw outside the bar on the street, Ferdinand said: “The police and firemen told us to go to the 1900 coffee house on the opposite side of the street.

“Firefighters started separating the least burned and the most burned. I only saw my brother once. The person working in the bar was taking care of him. He told me to call the firefighters.

“When the firefighters and I returned, he had already been taken away. I spoke to the firefighters to find out where my brother had gone at this time. What could I have done as I was less injured. At this moment we waited. Everyone was given fire-resistant foil blankets.

“One of my friends was very calm, so I let her sit down. My girlfriend was completely panicked. They were minors, my brother’s friends, there were four of them and there were three of us, over 18. They were also under 18.

“I’ve been looking around for them. I’m currently running around the streets trying to find someone who can take care of them.

“At one point, my girlfriend called me and said they were going to take us in a fire truck. So I asked the firefighter driving the car if I could get in the car with them.

“So I stopped in the ambulance and we were taken to the sports center, which is a lake near Arnouva, five minutes from here.

“There were only firefighters and ambulance officers there. That’s why they couldn’t give anyone painkillers. That’s why they were only given fire suits.

“Everyone was given gel masks that would only relieve burns. My 17-year-old friend, Mayol, and my brother’s friend, were less injured.

“So we helped every firefighter and cop give everyone water and candy so they could stay conscious. Then the paramedics arrived.

“They built a kind of hospital in the sports center above the tennis courts. So over time, more people came, more people got burned.

“At this point firefighters and paramedics were given categories. I was in the green category. First it was yellow, then it was red. And I think he was black, but the black had already been taken to hospitals.

“So here I helped the paramedics, and Mayol and I helped the firefighters move people in these beds that were built at the time.”